


Between worlds

by Lucky_Moon_rabbit



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine, Cuphead (Video Game), Disney - All Media Types, Dracostryx - Fandom
Genre: ARPG species, Also fake species, Birds, Closed species, Crossover, Distrust, F/M, Fantasy, Feels, Forgive me but I wont stop, Has pictures, Humans, Hybrids, I have a file of information for everything that will be linked in every description i swear, Interdimensional Travel, Magic, Mentions of Blood, Mentions of hunting, Mystery, Mythological Beings - Freeform, Mythology - Freeform, No beta reader, Politics, Slow Burn, There will probs be a lot of OCs, Toon World, Violence, War, a mix of fantasy medieval and batim time settings, alternative universe, anthros, batim au, but not boring politics (i dont want that either), did i mention magic?, fantasy medieval, gods/goddeses, human hybrids, im sorry jon but its too late to stop this, in story terminology, mentions of battle, more tags as it comes to me, occasionally adding more, primarily Batim though, this expanded so far beyond what I started with, will constantly be edited for grammer/spelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 267,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22147969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucky_Moon_rabbit/pseuds/Lucky_Moon_rabbit
Summary: A stranger from a foreign land is sent to the world of cartoons, starting with a simple mission: Find the king, and deliver a letter. However, things rapidly spiral out of control for the stranger as they find the king is missing, and the new powers that be are not friendly towards beings like her or her companions.Armed only with the skills they've honed over years in their home land, they must work through the mystery of the lost king, making allies and enemies along the way. The situation will develop into something far from the simple job it began with, as they are faced with the new rules, beliefs, and superstitions of this strange world, as well as develop attachments to some of the locals despite trying to keep their distance.This is a BATIM AU, with a blend of a bunch of things. Inside notes has more details
Relationships: Bendy (Bendy and the Ink Machine)/Original Female Character(s), Susie Campbell/Sammy Lawrence, maybe more
Comments: 23
Kudos: 14





	1. A simple job

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read my other story, Broken Reel, you will probably recognize some of the characters  
> This is primarily because I couldn't drop them after developing them so much (I like my characters, shoot me)
> 
> However, keep in mind this story is a heavy AU Of Batim, and as such these are not *exactly* the same characters as Broken Reel. There will be similarities (mostly similar in personality), but differences as well bc of the differences in circumstances
> 
> Also, this story will feature at least one (possibly several) species from ARPGs on DeviantArt, and Closed species  
> As stated in my info hubs disclaimers, the only ones that will be present are the ones I personally own.
> 
> For more information go here - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64 - my info hub, which is to both help me track things, and for readers. As such it is as spoiler free as possible, but it may become spoilery as the story continues, and more things are added with time. I'll try to mark those points in case you come in later and don't want to be spoiled.
> 
> This file will never be deleted, assuming DA doesn't destroy it, and if it is destroyed it will be replaced. The first page of the info hub is good for general information on ownerships and the like

  
Pippen Clarke sighed as her stryx landed just on the edge of Moonli Ranch, the massive Harpia rumbling beneath her. The dragon bird was fairly simple by most standards, standing slightly taller than average at 25 feet from the bottom of his talons to the top of his head when standing stationary. Being the second largest breed of dracostryx, it left them with an opposing height, and the fericious set of his face only helped. Helping to seperate him further from the common stryx was his 'silky' feathers, denoted by a thick neck ruff of long, soft feathers, and the long trailing tail feathers on his first tail. 

Dracostryx were a unique breed of bird, not quiet dragon, but not quite fully bird either. WIth a wide range of species and possiblitites, Stryx were an adaptable species, and one of the most sought out companions and working beast in the land of Wyvera. Out here, on the edge of the land, their was an equal distributation of wild to domesticated stryx, though an encounter with a wild one did not always mean danger. After all, they were intelligent birds, and they came in a wide range of temperaments.

Unfortunately her Harpia, Glory Asunder, or Glory for short, was known for being a bit on the aggressive side. Fortunately, there were outlets for that energy, and years of training had left him mostly in control, though he was still a bit wiley at times. The eagle like stryx sported a coat that was simple, a nox, or black, feather base with a silver marking on his undersides. His beak and talons were a shade of dull gold, and his claws, both on his talons and the 'thumb' at the end of his wing, were a shade of deep gold. Brilliant yellow eyes examined the world around him, his thick plumage hiding the scars of many battles beneath. Glory was a fighter, and proud of it.

His rider, sporting an average human height of Five and a half feet, looked fairly small compared to him, sitting on a saddle arranged on his back, the straps arranged to have one set above his wings, and another below, meeting in the center where a padded strap helped stabilize the set up, and protect his rib cage. It wasn't the complcated mess of hidden straps and buckles his armor was, that was for certain. Far easier a set up for travel. 

Pippen was an unusual human, and by first glance it was clear that human blood was not all that flowed in her veins. She had pale skin, simple brunette hair, and two curvy pair of horns sprouting from her head, and angled back to a degree. A long thin tail, ending in a spade tip, sprung from her backside. Her clothing was simple, a cream tunic with a belt covered in pouches around the middle, and a pair of comfortable brown pants, finished with a pair of sturdy leather boots. A plain dagger rested on her hip beneath her tunic, a simple item that had served her well. She glanced to her left hand, which was missing the majority of her pinky, from the first knuckle up. It could have been worse if not for her unusual skills. 

She was far from the most unusual being in Wyvera, which was home to all manner of beings. Thanks to the powerful magic that coursed through the land, and led to the natural formation of portals too unknown worlds, there were many unique faces to be found. Pure humans, 'FIctivs', which were beings who were once considered fiction by humans until their species were proven to exist to officials, or their population caught up to human levels and could no longer evade them. There were Anthros, humanised animals, sporting bipedal bodies, human like bodies. Then their were hybrids, beings that were either clear hybrids of two of the earlier subsets, or so far removed from the norm that they were called as such for the sake of ease. And then.. There were Toons.

For Wyverians, Toons were commonly veiwed as dangerous and untrustworthy, beings of wild magic that bent the laws of reality Galyx set into place when the universe began. They were conniving, untrustworthy, vicious, and only cared for their own kind. While they came in a wide variety of subsects, they were recognizable by their more 'simple' look and feel to them, their bodies not chained as strictly to the laws of physics as other subsets. It was common for them to have large eyes, or biology that did not make sense and would not operate without the magic inherent to their beings. 

They were few toons to be seen in present day Wyvera, though once it was said they were more common long ago. Those few who were in Wyvera were typically found in the deep wilds, or came from such areas, and none knew how to reach the legendary homeland of Toons, Tunis. It was known that was where all toons originated from, but the few who were local to Wyvera didn't kniow where it was, and the smaller number who might would never speak on it. As far as Wyverians were concerned, toons were the bottom of the totem pole, and rightfully so.

Except to Pippen, who knew better. Like Dracostryx, humans, fictivs, and every other sentient being, she knew toons were individuals. At least, the two she had known and currently knew were. If not for the one still alive, she would never be where she was now, with a ranch to her name, loyal stryx, and so many friends and companions gained from said ranch. Her meeting with Gru had changed her life for the better, and she was certain he would say much the same. 

This was not her ranch however, her stryx pacing among the controlled chaos of Moonli ranch. Moonli ranch was built on a sizable platue on the side of Moonli Mountain, which was on the edge of Wyvera. To the east was the rocky coast, cut off by Moonli at a point level with it's most northern point, rarely warm enough to swim but a good source of food, and scavenging goods. To the west was an open plain, Galx plains, and some small scattering of forests and lakes sprinkled within the expanse, and finally Sunna Mountain. Home of Sunna Ranch and farms, several villages, mines, a sizeable town, and her home.

Moonli was the ranch Pippen had been trained in the art of Stryx mastery, and had been given aid to sharpen her inherent beast whispering skills. Her business partner, and best friend, Gru had trained here with her, and had honed his beast whispering ability from a basis of a complete novice, having no natural inclanation towards the skill despite his slightly bestail appeance. Pippen couldn't have been prouder of him for sticking it out, and together they had survived five difficult years of intense but important trianing. There was a reason a position in Moonli's classes were highly sought after, despite the dangers of outer Wyvera and the harshness the training itself was known for. 

It was here, eleven years ago, that a young, scrawny Pippen, and a skinny, dirty Gru had arrived to the ranch in the dead of night, lead to this location by the wisp of a mother stryx, whose eggs the pair had stumbled upon. It was that night they had met the fearsome but kind master of the ranch, Agatha Moonthorn. She had seen something in them, this pair of strange children, one a half human whose human side was most prominent, and one of the rare and elusive full blooded toons of Wyvera. They had been taken in, fed and clothed, but their training had been no less harsh than any others. They arrived under special circumstances, but they were treated no different. 

After they had conquered the beast that had left Sunna mountain untamable, the pair had moved on from their training ranch, though they hadn't moved far. Sunna was only several hours flight from Moonli on a good day after all. The pair had worked hard to reclaim the mountain, reparing the shrine dedicated to the sun god Daius at the top of the mountain, and slowly scouting things out. They invited people to move onto the mountain, which was enticing given the outer lands of Wyvera were taxed lighter than inner Wyvera, due to how unpredicatable it was. The area around Sunna and Moonli recieved more of a deduction than most, being deep in the wilds, and so close to the untamed wild magic of the bad lands.

Either way, the had slowly developed their ranch, and helped a controled and conservationist minded expansion of villages and the main town, Dali. They were careful to preserve the nature of the mountain, not wanting to spoil the natural bounty by overtaxing the ecosystem. Many put this down to their routes with Moonli, which was known to lean towards Nokt, goddes of the moon, when it came to which of the two primary gods the ranch had a greater allignment to. That didn't mean they ignored or scorned Diaus, the moon goddess' husband, but that they leaned more towards the idealogy and way of life relating to that god. 

They finally reached the main building, which functioned as the house of Agatha Moonthorn and offices for the ranch. The offices were on the right side of the building, and only saw use from Agatha and a select other senior hands for paperwork purposes, while the left side acted as her house. 

_"Outside."_ A voice croaked from above. The pair looked up, greeted by the soil brown and white underside of La Lune, Agatha's oldest stryx. The corva eyed them silently with intelligent blue eyes, her form coated in elaborate white 'frost' marks and a smattering of dark brown flecks. On her head was a most unusual mark, a crescent moon with a dot in the middle, the source of her name and believed to be a mark of favor from Nokt herself. Her talons, beaks, and the upper half of her head were black, though the dark feathers on her head faded back to the brown base color as it ventured down the back of her neck, and her face was split by a band of white, traveling from her eyes and along the rim of her uppear beak. _"Agatha waits for you in the backyard."_

The crow like dragon, it's message delivered, took off, flying for the back yard and leaving the pair behind. Corva were on the smaller end of the spectrum, averaging a bit under fourteen feet when they stood up straight, typically slightly smaller than tytos, the owl like dracostryx. They were known for being as sharp as their crow kin, however, and a group of Corva working together could be a dangerous thing when their ire was invoked. The breed itself was a bit of a handful, given their crow like nature often lead to them developing habits of hoarding shiny things, and putting their beaks where they don't belong, but like all stryx breeds they were a rewarding companion.

"Typical La Lune.." Pippen muttered. If it wasn't for her Beast Whispering ability, she wouldn't have understood the bird, but she knew that wouldn't have stopped La Lune. Even if she had been unable to understand them, the bird would have used the same method to get her to where she was meant to be. She was a bit like her owner. Sometimes it was expected of you to draw the lines between the dots on your own, rather than being spoon fed an easy answer. It was only when you were clearly out of your depth that they would be more straightforward. 

Glory turned to her commands, a combination of hand signals pressed against his neck, starting around the building. He had a brindle, specifically made for Harpai Stryx, but Pippen was more used to using the hand commands as she had with her first bird, Cecil. He was still around, but the fact he was born blind made it difficult to use him for long term travel. It didn't mean she loved him any less. Cecil was a cheerful, polite stryx in spite of his disability, and knew most of the mountain by heart. 

They circled the building, finding Agatha waiting for them near one of the picnic tables, standing in a position that allowed her to look over the Galx plains, and the distance form of Sunna. The brother mountain to Moonli was just as large, the northern most ridge extending far beyond Wyvera's bounds, and encasing what was known as the Bad Lands, the ridge present until it met the end of the continent, far far away. La Lune stood next to her, looking out over the veiw as well, both figures pensive.

Pippen looked out over the expanse as well, quiet for the moment. This position allowed them look northward, the ranch on a flat topped ridge that extended a bit away from the main mountain. They could see to the lands between the mountains, the wide expanse of the Bad Lands, a country sized aread of land where no grass grew, no birds flew, and wild, uncontrollable magic abounded. No one went into the depths of the Bad Lands. There was nothing there. If the wild magic did not harm you, than the lack of food and water would inevitably be your end. It was only the first few miles on the edges of the Bad Lands that was safe to traverse, where the wild magic was less potent. Surveying magi had long since learned that the closer to the center one got, the more potent and uncontrolled the wild magic in the Bad Lands became.

It was a confusing conundrum, actually. Places of abundant magic were known for their lush vegetation, plentiful prey, fruits, and water. But the Bad Lands defied this common knowledge. Instead, it was a dark, grey land, not perfectly flat, but not very distinct either. No remnants of past vegetation remained, and no true surverys could be taken any furhter than the first few miles into the Bad Lands.

It was those first few miles that were of interest to the Moonli and Sunna, to the people of Wyvera, from government officials to overeager adventures. It was in this area that a number of wormholes, or 'trouble holes' as the locals had started calling them to deter their stryx from being interested in them, would form. Some were fixed. Maybe about eight or nine were a constant presence, glittering in the sky at different fixed points. What they led to was known and partially explored. Volcanos, plains, a forest of glowing mushrooms, and a hellscape. Those were the four Pippen could remember off the top of her head. The few times she had gone through one, she had never strayed far from the way back. These holes did not connect to other places on Wyvera after all. 

It was their job, as guardians of the mountains, and as heads of this part of the frontier, to protect the denizens of this area, as well as Wyvera at large. Strange and unusual beast would sometimes come out of sudden wormholes, though rarely from the permanent ones. They were to catch up to said beast, and measure it's aggression, the danger it presented Wyvera, and so forth, until they had enough information to decide on their approach. Usually these beast were destroyed, due to their hostile nature and the threat they posed to the balance of the ecosystem. Many did not hesitate to try and attack a stryx or human. Some were so large and aggressive it was a no brainer. All were something foreign to Wyvera. 

The mountain range was not the only place to have these problems, given Wyvera was a land thick with magic, and home to many magical experiments as well. Things happened, and sometimes an accidental wormhole would release a prehistoric pterodactyl from another world into theirs. Sometimes it would be an unrecognizable abomination that the magic users had to come together to destroy. Sometimes it was something far more simple, a beast, but a dangerous one. Those were the ones the stryx riders were often called upon to fight, if they had the training to battle. But it was more common in this area than others, ever so slightly. 

Pippen ordered her bird to kneel, the mighty beast slowly lowering himself to a point where she could safely disembark. He folded his legs, body parallel to the ground as he waited to see what their purpose for coming her was. The harpia's body boiled with energy he needed to burn off, ferocious yellow eyes watching the other two. Neither of them flinched at his look. They were too hardened by their years of life, and despite his wild looks, they both knew Pippen had Glory under control. 

"You called, Madame Agatha?" Pippen asked, smiling a bit at her former mentor. She, like many of Moonli's residents both past and present, feared and respected the woman. She feared her for the power she had seen unleashed on those who risked her fury, and respected her for her wisdom, her knowledge of stryx, and her understanding of the complications inherent to a number of walks of lives.

She had never pressed or forced it out of Pippen, but she found herself confiding one of her darker secrets to the woman halfway through her training. In Pippen's defense, she was slightly drunk off of some alcohol the students had swiped from one of the task masters, and had been dared to drink a portion of. Fortunately, she had discovered Agatha's rarely seen softer side that night. From then out, Pippen knew she could trust her, even if she was slightly afraid of what her teacher was capable of. She was just that kind of woman.

Agatha turned to her, cane shuffling the grass softly as she turned. One serious fall in her advanced years had left her with a bad leg, but it hadn't stopped the head of the ranch. She had a deep tan, her face lined with wrinkles, a jagged scar from her earlier years running from just above her left temple, across her eye, and to the top of her lip on the left side. Her eyes, a deep brown, were still good however, and watched Pippen with the same sharp intensity a hawk's would carry. Then she smiled, her expression softening. 

The elder woman wore a simple shaw with a moth motif on it over a off-white loose tunic and silver vest, a belt on her midsection covered in bags, just like Pippen's. Her pants were a deep blue, all of the colors selected for their affinity to Nokt's night sky. It was what she had learned to expect of her mentor, who had slowly grown closer to the gods as she neared the end of her life.

It would likely be several more years, given how healthy and active she was, but one day she would leave her physical body behind, and return to moonlight and starlight the gods had used to create the sapient species bodies, as well as the other earthly building blocks her body used. There they would judge her, and determine if and when she could join the cycle of reincarnation. Or perhaps she would become a star, one of Galyx's many sentinals, forever under the loving care of Nokt until the day she winked out. 

Pippen doubted a negative outcome would await her mentor, who, despite her feicesome reputation, was a good person at heart. She had never turned her back to the gods, had never commited an atrocity that would encourage disgust and outrage from the grandparents of the earth, or the egnimatic space god credited with the creation of their universe. The half human had no fears that her master would be cast away into the void, where all truely evil beings went when they died, forever cut off from any chance of another life, and the presence of the gods. 

"I did." Agatha answered, her voice still strong despite her age. She stood a bit taller, Pippen having not even realised her mentor had developed a hunch. She blamed the cane, and her mentor's bad leg, instead of facing the fact that her mentor's end was fast approaching. It was unthinkable, a Moonli without Agatha, but it would one day be reality. The thought of losing the second maternal figure in her life was painful, and one Pippen stubbornly avoided. "I have a job for you. One I feel you will be best suited for."

"A job?" Pippen mumbled. "What do you mean?" It couldn't be a roving monster or dangerous beast. Agatha was to relaxed for that. Same for any bandit hordes that may have formed, and turned their eyes to the far ends of the continent looking for easy prey. They were always sorely mistaken. The stryx and locals ensured that. 

"I need a letter delivered. But this is no simple letter. It is a letter going to a most important figure." Agatha explained, pulling out a cream colored envelope, the flap stamped down with blue wax, the seal the outline of a corva over a full moon. The seal of Moonli Ranch. 

"A letter?" Pippen deadpanned, leaning into the nearby picnic table. She twitched a bit as Agatha's hand tightened warningly around the cane, but continued. "Are you sure you didn't mean to send for my brohter? He's the one with a job as a delivery boy."

Her brother, Percival Clarke, was an impressive healer, but spent most of his days either in the sky with his childhod Harpia, Lumi, or in the deep wilds. He still struggled against the agoraphobia he had developed so long ago, the same day he had been seperated from Pippen. It was only three years ago, when Pippen was eighteen and Sunna Ranch was three years old, that he had hesitantly appeared. He was surprisingly clean cut for one who spent so much time away from Civilization, but Perci had always been a stickler for cleanliness. It had been an.. odd encounter, and one Pippen hadn't expected to ever occur. Things from that day had changed mildly, with the older half brother checking in on his long lost half-sister, but for the most part he didn't try to control her life or decisions. He was just happy to see her alive.

"I am aware. Do not get me wrong. Your brother has a high rating as a delivery man, but this specific task is not one suited to him. I need one of my most trusted students to deliver this, and you are the most adapt for this position. I am certain of it." Agatha explained calmly, her voice leaving no room for debate despite the fact Pipen could say no. They both knew she wouldn't. Not after Agatha dropped a rare comment like that, and had made her standards clear. Now she had fed Pippen's pride, and piqued her curiousity in one go. 

"All right. I'll bite. What's so special about this job?" Pippen questioned, Glory lowering his head behind her to be closer to the conversation, curiousity piqued as well. What delivery could be so demanding that Lumi and her rider could not handle it? From what the off-white stryx had told him, delivery jobs were fairly straightforward and simple.

"I need this delivered to the King of Tunis, Mickey Mouse." Agatha stated in a calm voice.

Pippen burst out laughing, despite the present threat of her mentor's wrath. She quickly quieted as La Lune glared at her, Agatha huffing in dissaproval. She quickly collected herself, before replying. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. You said the King of Tunis?"

"Yes. I did not misspeak." Agatha stated calmly. 

"The country no one knows the location to? The country that scientist came over to the mountains for after Sunna was reclaimed, and spent months poking and prodding into the safe zone of the Bad Lands for any sign of?" Pippen continued, though she knew better than to expect her mentor to be pulling a joke on her. It was not in her nature to do so. But Tunis was a legend. No one had ever found any proof of it's existence, and not even the few toons that could be found in Wyvera knew where it was, or how to reach it again after they arrived in Wyvera.. So the records went at least. 

"Yes. I have kept this a secret for many years, Pippen, and with good reason. Simply stumbling blindly into Tunis would have a negative consequances for both Tunis and Wyvera. Our history may have been lost, but the hatred and distrust lingers." Agatha intoned, Pippen grimacing at the final words. Oh, she knew how much that hatred lingered in the hearts of some Wyverians. She didn't need Gru around to know that. 

"But this is a letter of peace. To be delivered by you, a child of a human and toon." Agatha declared confidently. "Living proof that we can find peace with one another. I have kept watch for many years, waiting for a messanger from Tunis in regards to the political atmosphere of the country, and if it had turned in such a way that we could begin the process of forging peace.. but I have recieved no word. It has been so many years.. So now, I choose to act instead of wait any further. It is only a matter of time before someone else stumbles upon the path to Tunis, as more and more people find their way to the outer lands."

"Where is it?" Pippen asked, the joking manner gone from her tone. She did not doubt Agatha's sanity, no matter her age. She was too present, to aware to be going senile. Her eyes were to clear and center for this to be her age getting to her. Her face was serious, her eyes sharp with concern and a small degree of fear.

Pippen looked out over Galx plains once more, eyeing the womholes near the edge of the Bad Lands. Most were in the sky requiring spell work, stryx, or wings to reach, but there was a single on sort of close to the ground. All it took was contact with the swirling portals of light to be transported to the local it lead to. It was why everyone was warned away from them if they did not have at the very least have a stryx. Even then they were encouraged to stay away, but they couldn't stop everyone.

"It is not amongst the others." Agatha stated calmly, turning towards the plains as well. "It is below. There is a cave near Tulli Lake. The one that appears to only go a couple feet before coming up to a solid rock wall. That was my work. If you are on the other side of it, you would not see it."

"But I've been there." Pippen stated. Tulli Lake was a good spot for fishing, especially with stryx, who needed a perch to work with so they could watch for the fish, or partially submerge their head and beaks so they could tantalize a fish into their beak with their tongue. The lake had a number of good boulders to perch on, shallows close enough to drop offs into deeper waters that would entice the fish, and always had a number of the delicious, scaley delight. Stryx adored fish, even if they were not as skilled at capturing the water bond prey as they were land based prey, or those of the sky. "I've been in that cave. I've touched that wall."

"I know." Agatha smiled. "You do not think I would leave such an important place guarded by a weak illusion that would break under anything with more pressure than a passing breeze? I had to make sure no one went through early, before the Toons were ready to meet Wyverians once more. It's sad to say the general beliefs of our countrymen do little to aid that process."

"Yeah." Pippen mumbled, looking away in embaressment. Of couse Agatha would have thought ahead of things. She was a wise woman, dear Agatha. 

"It heartens me to know it fooled even you. You and Gru are usually rather perceptive, so I was concerned you would work out the ruse. But fortunately you never stayed around the cave long enough to notice." Agatha hummed, smiling a bit as she referred to one of the first scavenging ventures the pair had gone out on. Every Stryx knew how to scavenge, though if they brought back anything good usually depended on luck, their intelligence, and if they had been taught to focus on certain things. It was good for riders to come along, becuase it was a bonding time for the rider and stryx, and it improved the odds of finding something good. 

"Usually, when ever an explorer finds an empty cave, with no signs of useful resources, they abandon it, only remembering it when caught in inclimate weather. It's a smart response, especially in a place so difficult as these lands. You must focus your efforts on survivng, and thriving." Agatha offered after several moments of silence. She pulled a second item from her pocket, a simple charm shapped like a crescent moon. "With this, you and any stryx you bring will be able to travel through the illusion, and into Tunis. From there, I need you to locate Castle City. I do not know for certain where it is. I have never gone far into Tunis myself."

"Castle City?" Pippen echoed. "Let me guess, that's where the castle is."

"From what I was told, yes." Agatha answered, ignoring Pippen's tone. "From there, you must get this letter into king Mouse's hands. Or perhaps he is still a prince. That could explain the abrupt silence.."

"What should I expect in.. Tunis?" Pippen asked, still trying to wrap her mind around the idea of going to the country most believed was a myth. "And why aren't you sending Gru? He's a full toon."

"Do you think Gru could handle it?" Agatha questioned. "After years of believing he is alone.. to find the country of Tunis is so near, and his kindred so close at hand? That he was going to go to this land he does not know, among people he is similar to but does not know, and face their _king?"_

Pippen grimaced, looking away. She knew that Gru secretly feared encountering another full toon. He feared their judgement, their possible derision and disgust with him. While he was curious about his heritage, he was the kind of person who would want to take things slowly, taking time to acclimate with each step into the unknown. He would not respond well to being thrown into Tunis with an important task, torn away from the mountain he called home and from his comfort zone. 

"No." Pippen finally answered, though it felt cruel to speak of her friend like this. But she knew the truth. He would need a week alone to accept that Tunis was real without freaking out. If he was pushed to face his fears too fast, and it wasn't a life or death situation, he was liable to break down and panic. Pippen had seen it before. She didn't want to see it again, or be the source of another panic attack. He had them under control for the most part, but that was becuase they knew his limitations. There was a reason he preffered the administrative work on Sunna Mountain, and to stay on the ranch.

"I thought as much myself. I love Gru as dearly as I do you, but he is not one for being plunged into the unknown. He does not take to it as well as you, he does not adapt as quickly as you when it is connected to something he fears so much." Agatha continued. "And there is a certain degree of symbology to you being the messanger, as I stated before."

"Becuase dad was a toon.." Pippen muttered, tail flicking. Mom was a human from a clan of Beast Whisperers. Dad was a toon. There first meeting hadn't been anything impressive, but with a little time the pair had slowly fallen in love. Mom had a kid from a previous husband, who had up and left them for another woman, something that was viewed as shameful on the man. Dad had loved him like his own. Eventually, Pippen had happened, surprising and delighting them both. Eventually, their small home was discovered, and everything she had known ended that day. 

"Yes." Agatha murmured, her eyes turning sympathetic. She walked closer slowly, passing the charm and the letter to Pippen, shaking her away from the memories of the past. "And, I have one more thing. A gift. I have been meaning to give it to you, but your wander lust habits have made it hard to pin you down."

Pippen flushed a bit as she reffered to the time Pippen would spend off the mountain. She would hook up a beast to a Vargo, bring a stryx or two, and wander the lands of Wyvera, looking for stryx and eggs to bring back to the Ranch. She brought in a lot of business for the ranch as well, advertising their forlorn location to those who ran in the arena circuit, in the races, in the shows. She had found some beautiful stryx in her wanderings, and always brought back a number of goods that could not be easily gotten on the mountain. 

"Here." Agatha reached into her pocket, before passing four copper coins to Pippen. They were unusually thick, and Pippen could feel a buzz of power through the unmarked coins, shaped oval to prevent it from being mistaken for proper currency. "These are summoning coins. I got them recently from a wizard who is friends with the ranch. You can use these to summon any of your ranch stryx, assuming they do not specifically belong to someone else. They will come to your aid, though it will not be possible to send them back. Use them wisely, Pippen. It isn't often you find this kind of magic in such an easy to use form. Most usually require a degree of magical knowledge most don't have."

"Oh." Pippen murmured, eyeing the coins. These would be useful. There had been a number of times she was traveling across Wyvera where she had wished she had a bit more back up. She was sure these coins would be used at some point after the job was done, the girl putting them into her pouch of important things. "Thank you, Mistress Agatha."

"Now, you should go and tell Gru where you will be. I would advise you go alone, with one stryx. The fewer people we send, the less likely your presence will be mistaken as an attack." Agatha instructed. "Though I'd advise you take someone strong. You will be in the air for a while until you find your way to the city. I imagine I don't have to add this, but don't bring them into the city unless you are certain it's safe to do so."

"Of course." Pippen murmured, pocketing the letter into another pouch. "I just hope Gru doesn't freak out to much.."

"I'm sure he won't. He is a worrier, but he is reasonable." Agatha pointed out, turning to look to the sky. "But fly swift, Pippen. This is a task that requires haste, as well as care. I can sense it in my bones.."

  
===============

**Glimpse of the past**

  
_The woods were quiet as Henry Stein walked the trail, the 'mannish' toon male idly walking through the twilight. He remembered when mannish toons were simply called humanoid or human toons, back when he was a youth. Before insistence from the scientific and angelic councils had campaigned for a change. After all, they needed to be clear in their communications, their needed to be no confusion if someone said 'human'. They had to be able to say that single word and not need to clarify if they meant human toon or_ Human _._

_Never mind the fact that mannish sounded stupid, at least to Henry and many 'mannish' categorized toons he had spoken with. Irregardless of the fact that a human hadn't been seen in Tunis for over a hundred years. No claims of sightings were ever proven, and most toons did not believe that the small eyed, heavily homogeneous species existed. Sure, they were rumored to have a range of colors for eyes, hair, and skin, but pure humans were said to be cut from a similar cloth, with little bodily variance. A stagnant race compared to the wide variety toons came in._

_Most toons didn't even believe humans existed. For most, they were simply the boogeyman that older toons used to keep younger toons in line. 'Don't stray to far from home, or a human will take you away', 'Don't forget your chores, or a human will eat you for being naughty', 'Humans love to take away naughty toons who don't listen to their parents'. Lines such as these and so many more were common, humans delegated to such an unimportant position in their society, in spite of the fear that lurked deep within all of them. If these beings truly existed, than surely they would be a thing of nightmares, far worse than any demon toon or monster conjured from the void. Why else would their ancestors have warned them so thoroughly of the dangers of humans?_

_Henry himself, he didn't know what to think. While he had never seen a human, he didn't doubt the possibility of them existing, or something similar to what they had been told were humans existing. There had to be a basis for all the stories and warnings. But he was willing to withhold his instinctive distrust to see what said being would be like. For surely, just like toons, these beings would be individuals?_

_He would probably never find out. And that was OK. There were some things that you didn't experience in life. A being could not expect the universe to serve them every possible experience to them before they passed on from life. It was simply the way of the world, of life itself, and that was OK. Henry was making the best of life as it was. He had a small art business, and worked at a restaurant part time to ensure he made ends meet. It was a comfortable, albeit lonely, life._

_The woods near his home were beautiful in the evening. He had heard that long ago, it had been a place that attracted many magical beings, most commonly being 'wisps'. The glowing balls of blue light might as well be a myth like humans, given how rarely they were sighted in the current days. But they had evidence of Wisps existing. Henry had seen a couple in his childhood._

_No one was sure where the collection of magical energy had gone. All that was known was the fact that they had become less and less apparent. Some blamed the Council of Magic for their disappearance, but these claims were resoundingly denied. In fact, the Council of Magic was deeply concerned by the disappearance of wisps, and were looking into the matter closely._

_The male paused, a breeze ruffling his white streaked blonde hair. His years were catching up to him, showing in the weariness in his body, and the dark circles slowly forming under his pie cut eyes. His chin was rounded, with a light dusting of beard hair. He wore his usual overalls, this pair a simple dark blue, with a nice shirt underneath. His lower arms were wider than his upper arms, reflecting the strength hidden within, three stripes of hair along the lower arms. The strange anatomy wasn't so unusual for a toon, and was far from some of the extremes other toons were capable of._

_He had walked quite a ways into the forest, though it wasn't that large or deep. It was rare to see anything beyond a feral type rabbit or deer. Feral denoting the fact they were not on the same level as a speaking animal toon, and could be safely hunted. You could usually tell through looking at the eyes. A feral type animal's was usually smaller than those of higher sentience. No one was quite sure why. But it made hunting for food easier to do with less accidents._

_But now the air felt strange, tense. The magic that was always present in Tunis felt unnaturally strong in this moment, though he had been in these woods before. And there was something else. Something primal but formless, without consciousness or will. Behind him, the sun was nearly set, and the darkness of night had almost set in. On impulse, he drew the lighter he kept in his pocket for moments like these, flicking the top until a fire sprang from it to light the area around him._

_The tension snapped the moment the fire flared to life, the lit flame snuffed out the same instant. It was as if it was the catalyst these energies needed, energies that had been circling each other like oil and water. Mixing but never blending. The sensation of these two energies colliding was overwhelming, something ancient and unknowable occurring. Something basic, something wild, something sapient beings were not meant to control, but meant to occur on it's own, in the right conditions._

_When he recovered, the woods were no longer quiet. In the distance, he could hear a soft sound, like a baby crying. A baby? This deep in the woods? No toon animal cried quite like this when they were young, human- or rather 'mannish' like. It was a soft, plaintive sound, innocent and pleading. Henry started towards it slowly, not having it in his heart to abandon something that sounded so vulnerable._

_It took a couple minutes, but he finally found the child, the air still reverberating lightly with the wild magic that had been pressing against another energy only moments ago. The source was a small, demon type toon, with a body as dark as the ink Henry would use to draw with. He was small, and a bit chubby, limbs curled to his body for warmth, pie cut eyes closed as soft, plaintive cries came from him. Henry stopped for only a moment, but his approach caused those small eyes to open, more cries escaping the helpless child._

_Henry took off his shirt, which took a couple moments thanks to his overalls, before wrapping it around the child to offer them comfort and warmth. They stilled a bit at that, seeming to watch him for the moment. The strange child's head was disconnected from his body, and round, save for the top, which had a circle cut out of it, leaving his horns to point towards one another in a vaguely crescent shape. His horns blended in well with his body, a unique trait amongst demon class toons, and his face was white as the moon._

_A small grin crossed the child's face as he began to experimentally flex around in his fabric cocoon, bending every which way he could manage in Henry's hands. He seemed entertained by Henry's nervous struggles to keep him from falling. He was surprisingly flexible for a baby, but given what Henry suspected, the unusual was hardly a surprise._

_He had heard rumors of 'Fresh Toons'. Toons of all types, born to no mother or father, but from the collision of a surplus of wild magic, and a surplus gathering of a primal element. While they did not naturally combine or meet, when these surpluses somehow did develop, and did meet, sometimes it would produce a new born toon. No one was sure why it happened. Many believed it was how the first toons had come to be, a being formed of magic and one or more elements, and the process had become more uncommon with time. That was the best guess however._

_"You are a bendy little fellow, aren't you?" Henry asked in his deep voice as the child continued to try and explore, even though he was far from ready to do such a thing. He paused, cocking his head at Henry, face curious. "You like that, do you? Bendy? I think that's what I'll call you."_

_The child grinned, seeming to give his stamp of approval to the idea. Bendy was hardly the strangest name a toon could have. In fact it wasn't uncommon for them to have strange names, or ones that were related to a certain aspect of their being. Henry would have to take him in to the authorities and go through a nightmarish amount of paper work, but he would take in the little being. There was something about that little smile he already loved, and the thought of having another toon living with him in his lonely home filled him with warmth. He was sure he could do right raising the child. How hard could it be?_

_"Well than, come on Bendy. Let's get you somewhere warm." Henry murmured, cradling the child close. Who knows. Maybe the child was a gift from some primal, unknown god to Henry. He was a good person, but lived all alone. Or maybe he was just as the rumors and legends claimed, a child of chance and magic, and Henry had been in the right place at the right time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To start: The 'Glimpse of the past' part will be a semi-common thing in this work, mostly to allow for better looks into the past than plain info dumping provides (and because I want to write these parts :P)  
> They will be an important source of information, but I won't say whose part it will be (hint: it will be the one revisited often)
> 
> They will either be added on to the end of a chapter (if it's short) or it's own chapter. We'll see where things end up when I have to cut things up.
> 
> This is primarily a passion project combining two things I love and enacting an idea I've had since before I started Broken Reel. It will only be posted here, for the sake of not confusing things with my ARPGs lore non-au stuff, and also to avoid the trouble that Deviantart's smaller writing limitations caused me when working on BR. 
> 
> Also, yes, I have an info hub. Idk how big this thing will get, maybe it will match the Nightvale fic's info hub I had long ago (no it was never posted, and no I can't post it now, my last laptops death ate it)  
> But it's character Bios link is a good spot to go to if you need help visualizing characters. Most will have a picture linked to their name, since I know some of my readers (See: my dad :D) like it when there is a visual representation. 
> 
> I'm also considering having a second story, Broken Reel: Post Credits, which would primarily focus on points past the Broken Reel universes ends, though it would not be the primary focus, and would likely be more of a collection of one shots.
> 
> Again, thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoy the story! There will be twists and turns ( I have a lot planned already, like a ridiculous amount outlined that will probably be expanded on even more than the outline provides) and this will likely be longer than Broken Reel was.


	2. To seek adventure in troubling times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64  
> has some character pics in the bio link ;)  
> Also better look at dracostryx speices In glossary, and specific birds in character bio

The flight back to Sunna was a simple matter, though Pippen's mind was awhirl with everything she had been told. She had been living near the one path to Tunis for over ten years and had never realized it. Not a single human or stryx had ever stumbled upon it, even though Agatha claimed to have been hiding it for many years. And she was to be an emissary for peace.  
  
Beneath her, Glory, the long necked, eagle like Harpia, flew onwards, powerful wings propelling them both from one mountain to the other. He had a round chest, and large powerful wings, his angled head at the end of a long neck. His feathered legs were the usual shape one would expect of a bird of prey, wickedly sharp claws sprouting from ends of each toe. His tail, like all stryx, was different from a common birds, sporting 'two' tails. He had the first, primary tail feathers, like a common birds, but beneath that was a long, whipping dragon like tail, covered in short feathers and ending a wide spread of secondary tail feathers.   
  
He lurched beneath her, unnaturally so, dragging her attention back to reality. His massive head was turned to look back at her, one golden eye focusing on her in concern. She had been acting oddly since the meeting with Agatha, though to Glory it had sounded fairly normal. A simple task, wrapped up in complications. He didn't entirely understand the various differences between sapient beings. If it could ride him, it was a rider, if not, it was something else. All he cared about was the specifics of how to fight anything that wasn't an ally.  
  
"Sorry, Glory." Pippen mumbled, rubbing his neck. The dragon bird looked forward once more, though he was not entirely pleased. Agatha had put the estimate for this job at a week, and if it looked like it would go beyond that they were to return to her. Simple. It took longer to reach the city of Daiuses, one of the largest cities in Wyvera, and was far more dangerous from what he understood. This 'Tunis' was not described as being dangerous like Wyvera, home of so many strange and dangerous beings. It was described as having just toons, and Glory knew only one toon, and he was hardly a threat.  
  
Wyvera was a land of danger, one many of the inhabitants had learned to adapt to. It was a land of powerful magics, or sorcerers and magi, but few scientist. The sciences were neglected compared to the magical advancements they had made, though there were certain sciences they understood, to a degree. Like genetics, which was so crucial to breeding stryx, or alchemy. Those were sciences that were not left in the dust, though Alchemy was straddled between magic and science, and there were magical work arounds for those who did not have the scientific tools for genetic related matters.  
  
Tunis was.. Well, a mystery. Home of the toons, that was known, but not much else. The state of their magical development, of their scientific development, of any development for that matter, was utterly unknown. That was why it was considered a legend, though it being mere fiction would leave the question of where toons actually came from wide open.   
  
"I don't know how to break this to Gru." Pippen muttered, not looking forward to this discussion. She would much rather have a task that sent her to the other side of Wyvera than this. Then she could hook up some horses to the Vardo, grab a couple of the stryx, and set out across familiar territory. Sure, they'd have to stop in civilization occasionally, but Pippen and her birds were well adapted to surviving on their own. Perci wasn't the only one with an agoraphobic streak. Pippen had just been better trained to deal with it.   
  
_"Just tell him."_ Glory answered, shaking his head. Honestly, riders were such ridiculous beings sometimes. Especially his. Why spend so much time flustered and concerned by the thoughts in your head, when you could just act.   
  
"That's easy for you to say." Pippen muttered. "You don't have to deal with the consequences."  
  
_"There are consequences in everything. I act so I may see them, and know which of the possibilities are reality, rather than brooding like a dam over a nest of eggs."_ The bird quipped back. Pippen wasn't sure where he picked up some of his habits and thoughts, most likely from other stryx during their travels, but some days she wished he was as polite or simple as one of the other stryx.   
  
She sighed, seeing no point in continuing the matter. They were nearly upon Sunna Ranch as it was, the mountain looming large in front of them. The pair started to fly downwards, slowly circling towards the ground, beneath them was a familiar scene of controlled chaos, students, stryx, and workers going about their day. Or rather, their afternoon, given the eye of Daius had passed it's zenith above them.   
  
_'Hawk, Corva, Tyto, Harpia, Gryph.'_ Pippen recited to herself. _'So many birds, how do i pick? Hawk like dragon, crow's own wit, Owl's wisdom, eagles pride, or choose the one with vulture's glide._ ' It was a simple thing, a tuneless old saying that many used to differentiate the main five kinds of stryx, the simplified descriptions in the same order as the birds were named in the first line. Of course, it didn't cover all the possible stryx, leaving out their bat cousins, and the runners, but the simple, tuneless ditty covered the avian flyers.   
  
Glory landed in front of the house she and Gru resided in, shifting impatiently beneath his saddle. He didn't expect to have it removed anytime soon. It was an obvious pick on who Pippen should bring to the strange new world. He bowed to let the girl hop off, receiving a friendly pat on the neck.  
  
"Thank you Glory. Head to your stall for now and have one of the students remove your gear and look over it. I need to talk to Gru about everything.." Pippen ordered, the massive bird taking off for the crepuscular pens, where he resided. Every stryx had a natural biorhythm, a time of day they were most comfortable to be active with. Their were Nocturnal, Diurnal, and Crepuscular. Fortunately the last category was a tad bit flexible, given how limited the range of afternoon and early morning actually was. Even so, a Nocturnal bird could be coaxed to a Diurnal lifestyle, and vice versa, if need be.   
  
Pippen walked inside, glancing around at the interior of the log building. The wood was dark, a finely treated pine, decorated with furniture made from the same type of wood. The first room was a living room of sorts, with a large table in the middle, and several comfortable chairs around it. Upstairs were the actual proper living quarters for the pair, while the lower was used by staff and occasionally students.   
  
She started up the stairs, hoping Gru was in his office. He usually was around this time of the day, but if something had come up he would have been forced to forsake his usual habits. Despite his panic attacks, he made for a good partner administrator of the ranch. His eager, friendly personality made up for Pippen's lack of business charm, and always made people feel confident he wasn't ripping them off. For those cases where someone would try and rip Gru off.. Well, that was what Pippen was there for. After all, most people mistook her for half demon, and not half toon, and it would help deter the more wily clientele from trying their luck.   
  
As she opened the door, she was greeted by the familiar face of Gru Clarke. Though they were not bond by blood, the pair viewed each other like family, and Pippen had given him her last name. He was a biped and humanoid in appearance, though his knees were more like an animals or anthros. A long thick muzzle made up his face, his large yellow eyes have a cross shaped pupil. Two long, vaguely rabbit like ears sprouted from the back of his head.  
  
On his back side was a large, thick tail, slowly winding to a thin point, constantly moving nervously behind him. His body was covered in short fur, primarily salmon pink in color, though he had white markings on his upper knees and mid arms, large white dots present above each patch of white. His short, thick fingers and paws were tipped in light orange, as was his throat and thin neck, his lower jaw lined in the color as well. Finally the ends of his muzzle, tips of his ears, and three bars along his tail, were a shade of hot pink.  
  
He looked up, blinking in surprise as Pippen appeared. She primarily worked the nocturnal shifts when she was on the ranch, preferring the night and it's lower likelihood of visitors. No one had passed on the fact to him that she had gotten up early, and had gone to Moonli. He pushed back his chair, perpetual nervous expression shifting to an actual smile as he greeted her.  
  
"Oh, hey Pippen. I didn't realize you were up. The students didn't wake you again, did they?" Gru asked, ears flicking up slightly in concern. He sighed in relief as she shook her head, though his nerves began to return at the sight of her nervous expression. "But something is wrong."  
  
"I went to Moonli. One of Agatha's students had come over to tell me she was calling on me." Pippen answered, gesturing for him to sit down, taking one of the seats in front of his desk. It was comfortable and well worn, the toon sitting down after a moment, head cocked in curiosity.  
  
"One of Agatha's students? But you just returned from traveling! You should have been resting." Gru admonished, crossing his arms. She had only returned around midnight that day. Given she had not given up her nocturnal habits while travelling, that meant she was supposed to be sleeping during the day, and would have been exhausted after unloading the Vargo and having gotten everything sorted out.  
  
"I'm fine." Pippen countered. "I got a couple hours of sleep after I got back, and Agatha's student told me it was a matter that couldn't wait." She crossed her arms, the nervous expression returning. "She wants me to deliver a letter. To Tunis."  
  
"WHAT?!" Gru's eyes bugged out of his head before snapping back to their proper position, the toon standing quickly. "What do you mean 'Tunis'? Is this the same Tunis I'm thinking of? How in the world are you meant to get there-"  
  
"If you stop, I will explain." Pippen cut in, she slowly relating what Agatha had told her. Gru listened with rapt attention, fingers tapping the table with nervous energy. His eyes slowly widened as he shook his head in disbelief, leaning back into his seat once he had sat down.  
  
"It's.. been right here.. This entire time." Gru muttered, unable to process the reality of the situation. "I can't believe it. And yet not a single toon has ever come out.. Is it even possible they are still there?"  
  
"Agatha seems confident." Pippen offered. "I- I know she said I should go, but if you want to.."  
  
"... You should go." Gru answered, bowing his head, no small amount of shame and guilt passing over his face. They both knew why. "I- Agatha is right. You are a good person to send, and if things get hairy you will be able to get out faster than I could. You're better at getting people's attention too, though, being only half toon. Another full blooded toon.. I won't stand out at all. I'll be ignored and I would fail the mission." He bowed his head, nervousness showing on his face.   
  
"I understand." Pippen murmured, putting a hand on his. "At the most, I will be gone for a week. Agatha had a destination in mind, but she could not give me directions."  
  
"Who are you taking with you?" Gru questioned, shifting to the logistics of the matter.  
  
"Glory. He is the best flyer on the ranch under my command, save for the Gryphs but.. I don't want to pull on someone that large for a job like this. I don't want to have to worry about feeding a stryx that size in unfamiliar lands." Pippen answered. A Gryph was the best for long travels, given their stamina, and their size deterred most attacks, but feeding them was a constant problem one had to consider. She hadn't any idea what the game would be like in Tunis, and despite being the second largest of the dracostryx breeds, Harpia's stomachs did not require as much as a Gryph's.   
  
"But he's also the most impulsive.." Gru pointed out.  
  
"It's just a simple job. We go in, we drop off a letter, we leave. Simple." Pippen argued. "And Glory will keep me in the sky longer than most of the others. The less fuss we start among the populace before I get Agatha's letter to where it's going, the better."  
  
"I suppose you are right.." Gru muttered, leaning back into his seat. "Just.. take a couple more hours of sleep first. I'll see about getting supplies ready and making sure Glory's tack is in order."  
  
"I think that's a good idea." Pippen mumbled. She stood, grinning to her friend. "Thanks for your help Gru."  
  
"Always." Gru murmured, though the concern had not fled his face. He couldn't give her any advice on what to expect in Tunis. He had never been there before. He hadn't the slightest idea what the homeland of Toons was like. Only Wyvera had ever been his home. "Are you taking Redfall with you, since you are taking Glory? It would be a good precautionary measure."  
  
Redfall was a microstryx, the same size and appearance of a common robin. What differentiated him from the common robin was his 'stryx features', sporting a long dragon like tail ending in feathers, and a 'wing thumb' like his larger dracostryx brethren. Unlike the larger stryx, Redfall ate seeds and berries primarily, nixing any concerns of food hostility between him and most other stryx. He had become Glory's companions during one of their long travels around Wyvera, and the small stryx helped to bring out his gentle side, and temper his hot blooded impulsiveness.  
  
"Seems a good idea." Pippen admitted. "And I wouldn't hear the end of it from Redfall if we left him here." She started out of the office. "I'll see you in a couple hours than."  
  
"Take your time. There's no rush." Gru called after her, ears falling with concern. It was just like Pippen to throw herself into a potentially dangerous situation, only because it looked safe on the surface. She had a good deal of caution, but sometimes Gru felt she didn't have enough. Pippen thought Gru just worried to much. So much that it ensured he couldn't face any of his kindred species without a good deal of preparation.  
  
"I hope you know what you're getting into, Pippen." Gru sighed. He trusted Pippen greatly, he really did. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be here today. He would have died in a pit full of rain water long ago. But he hadn't, thanks to her, and together they had found a better life. And yet Pippen never stopped wandering, as if searching for something more. He understood her wanderlust, to a degree, but sometimes he wondered when she would settle down..

\-------------------------

It was just before sunset when Pippen finally woke up, stretching as she rose from her bed. She made quick work of cleaning up, folding the blankets at the bottom of her bad as was her habit, and quickly changing into travel clothing. A simple vest over top a comfortable off-white tunic, the belt of pouches around her midsection once more. She never left without them, given they had her most important supplies.   
  
After a couple minutes, she had a bag together of supplies, ranging from two more sets of clothing, a small travel sewing kit, a sling, basic first aid supplies for both her and her stryx, and a small mortar and pestle wrapped in cloth. She didn't think she would need it, given it was used to make mash, a substance that helped Stryx heal and was very good for newborn stryx, but she would rather be safe than sorry. She set the backpack onto her back, the familiar weight pressing into her as she turned and walked out of the house.  
  
"PIPPEN!" A voice shouted, a raspy female voice thick with excitement. Moments later, a figure slammed into her, holding her by the arms with their own thick paws. The figure before her was bipedal, with a round head that was a bright orange on top, and tan around the jaws. Red-brown tiger stripes covered much of her form, her 'fur hood' down, revealing the two 'false ear' horns. They looked like small tiger ears, tan edged in the same brown present on the rest of her body, but contact would prove they were far harder.  
  
"I go to the land of legends with you!" Heart declared, the Impim practically bouncing with excitement. Her legs from the midsection down were bird like, the same shade of orange as her head, and ending in cream. Her belly, end of her tail, and mid arms were the same shade of cream, the rest of her fur a duller, more natural shade of orange than her head and legs. Saber fangs pointed from the corners of her mouths, whiskers twitching and brilliant ruby eyes opening to look at Pippen.   
  
Heart was a bit unusual for an Impim, or so Pippen had been told. Given the being had lived so long in the wilds, her speech had decayed into a more hodge-podge method of communication, which would become more of a mess when she was excited. That was what she told Pippen at least. Heart was the only Impim she had met, and given how much trouble the Impim was, she would like to keep it that way. Heart could make a nun cuss with some of the shenanigans she got up to, especially as she pinned it onto Pippen since the half-human was her 'boss'. More like sponsor, since Heart was technically only a racer, but that never stopped her from redirecting angry people towards Pippen.  
  
"No." Pippen answered in a deadpan.  
  
"But Heart must!" Heart whined. "Heart must see land of legends! Heart will be first Impim to see it!"  
  
"I haven't forgotten the gladiator pit incident with the students, Heart." Pippen cut in. "I'm not taking you on as an emissary for this job when you can barely control yourself in day to day life!"  
  
"Heart was separating weak from strong! Heart was doing Usagi a favor!" Heart argued, referring to the head trainer on the ranch.  
  
"Usagi chewed me out for a month over that incident, Heart!" Pippen argued back, flushing a bit with annoyance."  
  
"But.. was funny..." Heart muttered.  
  
"I mean- It was funny, but I was the person who got yelled at about it." Pippen murmured, looking away. In all honesty, she had laughed uncontrollably when the dust had settled, and she realized how dumb the most recent lot of students were. To trust Heart, a known trouble maker, who claimed she could get them a discount on their training costs _and_ a legendary stryx if they _proved_ themselves in a gladiator pit style battle.. It was ridiculous. Everyone knew Heart wasn't a part of the administration, but they had still jumped at it.  
  
"Listen, Agatha said I should go alone." Pippen cut in before Heart could continue. "I promise, once things are calmer and we have peace secured between Wyvera and Tunis, I will take you over there."  
  
"You take Heart to see land of legends?" Heart questioned.  
  
" _After_ this job." Pippen stated, knowing the Impim would try to use her simplified speech to her advantage sometimes. She was smart, smarter than her typical speech and actions would indicate, but they couldn't get her to care about proper communication. It was bad enough the Impim had an impulsive habit of stealing things, since she didn't entirely understand or care for the act of commerce.  
  
"Heart will not be first. Heart cannot wait." Heart whined. Behind her, Glory was approaching, led to Pippen by another of the older students. Glory was set up with his usual tack, as well as some supplies strapped behind the saddle. Just enough for a couple days. Gru knew Pippen would not linger for long, especially if the circumstances were not safe.  
  
"I take it asking to accompany you is out of the question as well?" The blue haired male who lead Glory asked in a calm voice. His hair was on the long side, mused into a messy nest above his head, with small bear like ears atop his head, and a furry blue tail sprouting from his rear.. While he looked human at first glance, it became clear on a closer look he was not fully human. His skin was pale, nearly perfect white, his left eye pink, and his right eye black with an odd pink symbol over it. He wore a simple light blue tunic and puffy tan pants over tall black boots. It was a far cry from the complicated 'city get up' they had found the boy in, when he had turned up near Sunna several years ago.  
  
"No, Luke." Pippen answered, though she was more polite about it. Luke, while young, was rather reasonable, especially in comparison to Heart.  
  
"I must admit, I am concerned about you going into an unknown land alone." Luke intoned in his calm voice. He was always like this, straightforward and calm, and almost never lying. He was a strange kid, but Pippen had taken a liking to him. "You should bring back up, or have a plan set in place in case something happens to you."  
  
"You've been talking to Gru to much." Pippen muttered, looking over Glory's tack herself out of habit. Heart was skulking around Glory's tail, though she knew better than to mess with the frightening Harpia. "I'll be fine. I'll have Glory with me. No one will mess with a Harpia. And if we find ourselves in a situation where people feel brave enough to do so, we know to leave."  
  
"So you claim. But a back up plan is usually best to have when going into the unknown." He stated simply, holding up his right hand, on which perched Redfall, the robin microstryx. The small bird fluttered over to her, settling onto her neck. There was no way the robin would be able to keep pace with Glory in the sky, but he was fine with riding along. So long as he went somewhere with his giant friend.   
  
"It will be _fine_." Pippen declared again, clambering into Glory's saddle. Behind them, only seen by Luke, Heart dropped a seed onto the Harpia's tail, grinning wide to herself as she did. The master of Sunna would lead the Impim to Tunis, whether she wanted to or not. Luke left it be. They needed to know where Pippen would be, and so long as the special seed remained attached to Glory, Heart would be able to track him. "Now, be good, no unsanctioned battles on the ranch, and don't miss your lessons, Luke."  
  
"No fun." Heart grumbled.  
  
"I won't." Luke promised, watching her go with a calm expression, hiding his concern beneath his usual calm mask. They watched as the pair flew away, Luke catching the taller Impim by the shoulder before she could run off. "You should just track her, for now. I saw what you did."  
  
"Luke-Boy will not stop Lil Bird and Heart from seeing the legend land!" The Impim hissed, baring her teeth warningly.  
  
"I don't intend to." Luke answered. "I intend to come with you. If we enter the land where the portal lets out, you will officially be the first Impim to touch Tunis soil, and we will be able to get a feel for the land. Than we will come back, so long as Pippen isn't already in trouble."  
  
"You will make teacher man very maaaad." Heart answered in a sing song tone, though it was clear she liked his idea, and the fact his truancy would upset Usagi.   
  
"Perhaps. But I feel it will be worth it. I have a feeling.." Luke trailed off, before shaking his head, looking back to Heart. "Just be patient. And do not take Lil Bird out tonight. We will leave when the sun rises again."  
  
"We leave as Daius returns to sky." Heart agreed, tail whipping eagerly. Luke was an unusual companion for her mischief, but she would happily take him and his Corva along on this venture. He wasn't an Impim, so that meant she would still be the first Impim in Tunis, and have all the bragging rights that entailed. Heart simply coveted those bragging rights. 

===========

Bendy walked the paved sidewalks of Silvi City, twirling his tail in boredom as he looked for some entertainment. Lately, the city had felt rather stagnant, with everyone going about their usual business. No tourists to mess with, no country folk coming to the big city, big eyed and gullible enough to play with. All there was were the usual lot, who were familiar with Bendy and his mischief, making it more challenging to pull anything off. It was a bit satisfying, but honestly he preferred his simpler tricks. A couple white lies, a sudden scare, or a pursuit around the city which allowed him to show off how well he could traverse the crowded area. Simple things.  
  
He had lost his childhood chub log ago, and had gained some height as well, coming up to a bit over three and a half feet tall. Not as tall as his father, but given they weren't actually related by _blood_ , it was not surprising. Bendy believed he was perfectly sized for his purposes, which was mischief making and heart breaking. His body was vaguely tear dropped shape, with flexible arms and legs, hands encased in neat white gloves and on his feet were a pair of shiny shoes. Around his neck, or the base of where his neck would have been if he had one, was a simple white bow, a simple addition to top off his ensemble.  
  
The devil sighed as he walked by a wall slathered in council propaganda. Mostly propaganda from the Angelic Council. More of the usual. Beware the human threat, the Council of Shadows is bad, Turn to Angelis and worship, yada yada. Bendy didn't buy it. There had never been a real human sighting so long as he was alive, and as long as his dad was alive. The ones related to the Council of Shadows were just a thinly veiled jab at all dark element toons, like demons, devils, and imps. And this business with Angelis, the formerly 'secret' god the Council of Angels had been following the command of, only revealed after the king vanished.. He wasn't born yesterday. He was about twenty years old actually, and he knew a scam when he saw it.  
  
Not that he would say it out loud, at least not on the streets, when the angels of the Council were on patrol. They were part of the reason he was having a hard time having fun, their persistent presence making it harder to play pranks on others. They would chastise him to 'control his darker nature', and catch him if he was running from a joke gone foul. It really made things difficult. His only advantage was his unwitting informant on the inside, who would tell him what days the patrols would be in the city, if he asked her right.   
  
  
  
Bendy sighed, looking up towards the sky, which so many metal skyscrapers scraped against. He missed the days when the King still ruled. It had been when he was a child, about ten years ago, but those were good times. Honest, playful mischief was seen as that, just harmless jokes, instead of signs of something darker and insidious. All toons were equal than, no matter their variation. But the king was gone, and slowly the Council of Angels was changing that.  
  
The Council of Magic had withdrawn from most politics, only speaking up on the most outrageous matters. They were focusing their efforts on rooting out corruption in their own ranks, as their Council had always strived to do, as well as solve the mystery of the missing king, and the changes to the wild magic of Tunis. They claimed the disappearance of Wisps, the simplest of natural magical indicators, was of severe concern. They claimed it was a sign of upset in the magical ecosystem, though they had yet to point out anything else specifically to the public at large.  
  
The Council of Shadows.. it was meant to speak for those who aligned with the darker elements, or were associated with dark elements naturally. They pushed the fact that each being was an individual, and should be judged as such, that harmless mischief shouldn't be harshly punished, no matter the individual who performed it. They were a Council Bendy liked, even if they were weaker than the others. It didn't help they had a seedy underbelly that wasn't fully part of the Council, but not fully apart from it either.   
  
Then there was the Council of Scientific Advancement, or the 'Crazy Council' as many had begun to call it. They didn't help themselves, what with the new looser rules they had put in place for the scientific community when the king had vanished, and the leadership of the Council had completely changed. There were so many scandals now relating to the council and more outrageous experiments, in some cases performed on sapient toons no less!  
  
It was little wonder the Angelic Council had managed to gain so much power. They had always been seen as the 'good' council, the charitable council, which wasn't entirely untrue. Once upon a time, they had focused on good acts, and on offering aid to toons of all varieties and standings in life. They had believed in letting the individual make choices. That was what Bendy's dad had told him. But Bendy knew better. At least now, the Council of Angels was determined to shove their ideology, and fear mongering, down everyone's throats, and silence anyone who would disbelieve them.  
  
Maybe he could go to Boris' place. The farm wasn't too far from his home, which was outside the city, though it would be a bit of a trek to get from the point in the city he was in back to the outer areas. It would probably be late in the afternoon by the time he got there, and he knew that his friend would use any excuse he could find to go to sleep. It wasn't uncommon for him to go to bed earlier than most. It helped him rise before the sun, and tend to his sheep in the coolness of pre-dawn.   
  
A bird passed overhead, a feather drifting down to him. He caught it, looking at the soft round feather with a bored expression for several moments. Today was an angel patrol day, patrolling for trouble they say, and he had forgotten and made the trek to the city looking for fun when there would be none. The shadier characters were holed up and hidden away from the angels, which was nice, but it didn't help to draw out tourist and normal folk like one would expect. Everyone avoided the angels, who were known for being overzealous in what they deemed as 'trouble'. No one wanted to be taken to city square and held as an example of bad behavior for the rest of the city to look upon and judge.   
  
He wished he could fly away, to somewhere far away from here. Far away from the Angelic Council and their judging eyes. Somewhere he could actually have fun. He would take Henry too. His dad would be able to draw in peace, without the Council's badgering him to work on their propaganda posters. His dad had refused so far, but Bendy knew they were starting to get on the older man's nerves. He didn't agree with the messages they wanted to push, but Henry's art was well known and liked in the area. They wanted him.  
  
The worst was when 'Uncle' Joey visited to try and pressure Henry to work with the Council's. He was a low ranking member of the council of angels, no wings or halo, though he had high ambitions to move up in the ranks. Despite that, he still had a higher standing than Alice, Bendy's friend, even though the man was as trustworthy as an upset viper. Alice was one of the nicer angels, and she was actually learning from Bendy and Boris how to be kind to other beings the _right_ way, and not the _Council's_ way. She was still loyal to it however, even though she was on the bottom rung just because she had sprouted two little horns on the side of her head.  
  
It was a sign of 'dark influence' they claimed. Something Alice had to 'cleanse' herself of with hard work, good acts, and dedication. Bendy didn't buy it. He was fairly certain they didn't like Alice because she broke the mold, even if it was ever so slight. But Alice.. It weighed heavily on her, and she tried so hard to be a perfect angel, to be a good person. Sometimes too hard. No one should work that hard and stress out over their every little action like Alice did. It wasn't right, it wasn't healthy. 

A couple angels passed him on the street, eyeing the small devil leaning against one of the many buildings of the city. One stopped, eyeing the dark aligned toon quietly for several moments, Bendy's pie cut eyes slowly opened, meeting his gold eyes.   
  
"Loitering is a crime, Devil." The angel quipped, the second one having stopped and tuned back to rejoin his companion. They were both typical angels. Mannish looks, light hair, light, loose clothing, but not so loose as to be revealing. Halos, and one even had wings. Alice would kill for wings. Well, not literally kill, but that was the saying.  
  
"I'm waiting for the bus, ya smuck." Bendy answered, trying to keep his temper. When the Angels were around, the city feel still, like an animal playing dead in front of a predator. And when they were around, they loved to target _him_ , and other demon class toons, no matter their individual track record or personality.  
  
"Then wait in the allotted space meant for bus riders." The angel commanded, pointing towards a nearby bus stop. Bendy rolled his eyes, pocketing his feather as he slowly made his way to the stop. For the moment, his irritation was winning over his fear, and he was annoyed enough to try and bother them. It was only when he was actually afraid that he didn't give them any trouble. He wasn't a coward, he was just smart, and knew when to cut his losses.  
  
" _Now_ , Devil." The second angel, the one with wings, ordered, glowing cuffs of light appearing threateningly in his hands. That put a fire under him, the devil sprinting for the bus stop. He'd already been caught a set of those before, and they hurt. Not severely, but annoyingly so, biting away at your mind and body as you were helplessly dragged around to where ever the angel wanted to take you. Damn uppity angels.  
  
Bendy sighed as he sat down in the bus stop, turning his gaze back to the sky. There had to be a part of Tunis where the Councils' control did not extend. Where toons could be free of all this ridiculous, hyper focused attention to detail. Where toons like him could breath easy.   
  
But he wasn't giving up on the city. Not yet. The Angels were only present at most once a week, at the least once every two weeks. They didn't have the numbers to patrol all of Tunis constantly. They would likely be gone tomorrow, and the city would breath easy, and fun could be had once more. He would out wait them. Bendy the Darling Devil would not let Angels win this victory so easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for the kudos, I_hart_ducks and for the comment/ kudos EclipseStoryWritter , you have no idea how much it means to me ;ol
> 
> I'm just a ball of nervous energy rn but at the same tim I still want to write this, even if people don't like it ;2;
> 
> At least I'm not the only person with a weird crossover, I stumbled across some weird stuff on DA so now I feel a little less alone wading in the deep waters of 'weird AU stuff'
> 
> Next chapters will probs be longer as I get more confident (and stubborn)  
> Thank you for your time quq/


	3. New sights, new sounds, familiar troubles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
Tulli Lake glittered under the full, glowing face of Nokt, the celestial body present in full that night. Pippen looked up to the moon, sending a quiet prayer for guidance to the mistress of shadows, and for her protection.. That is what protection they could offer in a land that was so disconnected from Wyvera. Surely they would have influence there. Tunis could not exist without a sun and moon, or at the very least the stars.  
  
Glory was slowly circling down towards the lake, which was placid and still, the night sky reflected in it's mirror like surface. Pippen was tempted to let him get in some night fishing, but she knew that would just be her stalling.. And If Glory was lucky during his hunt, he would eat as many fish as possible, even if it would overfill his stomach. She didn't need to deal with a stomach ache during his flight. They had no idea how long they'd be in the air for.  
  
They landed in front of the cave near the northern most end of the lake. It was, to the naked eye, a shallow dip into the earth, the walls lined with rock and dirt. Only good for sheltering from the weather for a short span of time. It wouldn't even help block the brunt of said weather in such a case, just a portion of it. It was uninteresting, uninviting, the stone not a variety stone workers would be interested in, no sign of gems hidden in the stone, the walls too hard and stubborn to work into anything else.   
  
It was just tall enough to allow Glory to walk in, though he had to duck a bit, grumbling to himself as he did. The massive bird paused as he eyed the rock wall ahead, but Pippen urged him forward. They had the charm Agatha had given them, it would let them pass. That was what her former mentor had claimed, but Glory wasn't eager to walk into the stone and possibly slam into solid rock like a fool.   
  
He finally did start forward, the rock letting them pass through like water. As they reached the other side, they were greeted by a dim tunnel, glowing fungi present in crevices and along the floor in places. They were a species of fungus Pippen was familiar with, a simple fungus that glowed due to chemical reactions within the plant. It wasn't dangerous, and it was native to Wyvera.   
  
A steady breeze poured into the tunnel from somewhere ahead, ruffling Glory's feathers, and to a lesser degree Pippen's hair. It was cool, and carried unfamiliar scents upon itself, though it twisted back towards them after running into the barrier. Not even a breeze was permitted through, lest it give away the secret. The dim lighting allowed them proceed forward, though it did not light much outside of the path itself.   
  
Glory started forward without order, slowly picking up his pace as he pursued the wind. It was tantalizing, full of possibilities, of battles, of chances for glory. He could feel the natural magic of the land ahead resonating back to him, as strong as Wyvera's, and far stronger than what was present in this tunnel that stood between both. Pippen didn't stop him, clutching his neck tightly, feeling warm and strange as Glory steadily picked up the pace, faster and faster.  
  
"S-Slow-!" Pippen tried to order him to stop, but the bird did not hear her, racing forward. The wind summoned them, urging them forward into the unknown. A stryx's place was not below the ground, but above it, and that was where he was going.  
  
The last of the path was dark, no fungi present anymore, but it was no longer necessary. Light was glittering at the end of the tunnel, moonlight pouring into the cave from the exit. He picked up the pace, covering the last of the tunnel and exploding out into the night air, stopping short to perch on the end of the ledge outside the cave. His back felt strange, the weight on it lighter, and for a moment he feared he had somehow lost his rider.  
  
He craned his head around, spotting a figure in his saddle, though they only vaguely resembled Pippen. They had her horns, and her tail, but their body was smaller than the Half-Human's. She was around three and a half feet tall, maybe a bit taller, with a head detached from her body but floated dutifully in place, as if gravitated to her neck. Similar to that were a pair of detached wings, bat like in shape, floating behind her back and never moving for away. He tail was still spade tipped, and he hands were covered in white gloves, a gold button on the back of each. A pair of dark boots covered her feet, sturdy and reliable, while her belt was now draped loosely around her hips.  
  
_"Pippen?"_ Glory questioned, shifting with uncertainty. He hadn't felt her leave her back, hadn't felt anyone replace her. The leg straps were loose around the smaller figures limbs, but at the same width they had been pulled to when Pippen had mounted him. The impish being slowly sat up, rubbing her head. Dark, pie cut eyes met his, a hint of the original amber swimming in the depths of her eyes.  
  
"What happened? Did we hit something?" Pippen muttered, coming back to consciousness slowly. Her cheeks were a bit more rounded than her human bodies was, which Glory found a bit odd, but he rolled with it. She was speaking beast tongue, and it was her voice, albeit slightly higher and wavering with uncertainty.   
  
_"I'm not sure. You look different."_ Glory answered, watching her slowly explore her body, eyes steadily widening in confusion and shock.   
  
"What the-?!" Pippen squeaked, nearly falling from the saddle as she jerked around to look over herself, the loose leg straps no longer helping to stabilizing her much. Glory used his head to catch her, slowly lowering his body so he was near the ground, letting Pippen slide off of him. Redfall fluttered up from his spot among the supplies on Glory's back, no worse for wear, chattering curiously as he watched Pippen look herself over.  
  
"I- I look like dad." Pippen mumbled, face momentarily falling at the memory of the tall demon toon who had been her father. A tall, dark figure, with wings far larger than her own, and a crown of horns more complex than her own. He had been as tall as the average human, with a nice frame and pie cut eyes. The image was slightly blurred from the years that had passed, but she could still recall certain details perfectly. "I .. I guess this is something from his side, huh?"  
  
_"Maybe."_ Glory offered.  
  
_"No neck! You ain't got a neck! How you gonna eat?"_ Redfall declared as he landed on her shoulder, poking at the space between her head and body. " _Does this mean I get to have your part of the rations too?"_  
  
"No!" Pippen declared, pushing the small avian's beak out from between her head and neck. Her eyes were wide with alarm and uncertainty, hands shaking as she spoke. "I'm fine. Food shouldn't be a problem. Toons are part magic.. It will sort itself out."   
  
_"Are we gonna go back?"_ Redfall asked.   
  
"Have we delivered the letter?" Pippen asked in turn, raising a brow at the small bird. "No. So we aren't going back. This is just a.. Small snag. It could be worse. Besides, I always expected something weird would come up thanks to Dad.. Or at least more than what I already had showing.." She turned to Glory, gesturing for him to crouch so she could return to her spot.  
  
"As far as we know, this is normal for people with toon blood in them." Pippen muttered, mostly to reassure herself. "It's a simple job, and this doesn't' change how important it is. Agatha is counting on us."  
  
_"If you say so."_ Glory hummed. He was just happy Pippen hadn't freaked out over the change as much as he expected her too, though he suspected she was suppressing the panic for the sake of the mission. She always tried to control her emotions, until they finally broke through.   
  
They looked over the land ahead of them, finding it looked strange and abnormal. The edges of objects and parts of the land were more pronounced, as if they were outlined in ink. The trees had a soft look to them, the shapes of the leaves mostly similar to one another, as if someone were using a stamp to create them, and hang them from the branches. The colors were more pronounced as well, though in this area it was primarily purple-grey rocks, with shards of crystal erupting from the mountain wall behind them. It was only after a couple dozen yards of rocky land did the forests begin.  
  
"This is.. Strange." Pippen muttered, looking over the land. She had heard theories of how different worlds could present themselves differently physically due to the differences in the inherent magic of the possible lands, but she had never seen it herself. At least the world didn't look totally foreign. It just looked.. Softer. More like the pictures one would see in a child's picture book, more simplistic and easy to understand.   
  
_"Indeed."_ Glory muttered, cocking his head every which way, constantly keeping watch around them. _"Which way should we go?"_   
  
"Ah.." Pippen hummed, looking around them. The mountains behind them were tall, taller than Sunna or Moonli, their sides steep and jagged. There was something about them that felt uninviting, wrong almost, as if they were holding back something terrible. The way the mountain curved offered them three directions. Northwest, North, or Northeast. Pippen began to mutter to herself, reciting an old rhyme as she pointed between their options. Galyx willing, the whims of fate would lead them down the right path.  
  
"That way!" Pippen declared, pointing to the Northeast. "Let's go. After all, how large can Tunis be?"

\--------------  
  
Tunis was quite large, or so it seemed, Pippen soon swallowing her words. It had been foolish of her to think it would be small, this land of legends and toons. Of course it would have to be large. It would have to support the wide variety of toons capable of existing, as well as the stress of farming, of foragers, of hunters and support the prey those hunters pursued.. But she wasn't taking back her decision either. If she started to get wishy-washy on matters, she would open herself up to panic, and that wasn't something she was willing to do. So long as she was focused on a goal, she wouldn't focus on the change to her body, and the various questions bubbling in her mind.  
  
Was it permanent? While she didn't entirely mind it - she did mind the fact she had lost a little under two feet of height, given how many short jokes she already got- but she would survive. She could still tame stryx, she could still care for and hatch stryx eggs, train them, and even work tributes. In fact, the wings helped make the first two tributes, to Daius and Nokt, a tad bit safer.. And a little harder thanks to her shorter body and legs. No matter which way she cut it there was always a drawback.  
  
It didn't help that if this was permanent, than she had screwed up the dynamic she and Gru had been working with. Her human face had made business a little easier, far easier than two toon faces would. Maybe she could still convince people she was pure demon.. A couple well placed illusions would change her eyes, but.. It didn't change her loss in height, which would be comical to many Wyverians, and she couldn't wear the illusion forever.   
  
No, two toons in one spot would only make things more complicated. Maybe she would have to quietly vanish from the ranch, for the sake of Gru and everyone else. Her heart ached at the idea, eyes burning. She couldn't take Cecil. He had learned most of the mountain by heart, and was near inseparable from his brother. Unless she found him a loyal companion that clicked with him as well as Gavan, his brother and Gru's first stryx, did. Who of the stryx could she honestly take? Most of them belonged to the ranch specifically, save for Glory and Cecil, who were both legally assigned to her.   
  
How could she be a breeder if she was constantly on the go? It wasn't a situation that encouraged dam's to breed, and it wouldn't be the easiest situation to tend to eggs during such circumstances either. That was assuming she even found a female stryx willing to travel with them. Could they even travel? Most Wyverians would see her face and distrust her given the track record Toons had. Their low numbers didn't help to break apart that mentality that word of mouth had formed.  
  
So she'd have to turn to the life of a recluse. Well, she'd technically still be able to breed stryx.. But she would be alone. Which she appreciated, to a degree. She had come to enjoy the presence of some of the ranch hands, and had even befriended a couple. While she had technically lived away from civilization for almost a year of her life, she hadn't been alone. She had Gru. She didn't want to go back to being fully alone. It would only remind her of the past, and make it easier for those memories to return to the forefront.   
  
Her sigh was torn away by the wind as Glory flew, the land beneath them green and healthy. It had given away from forest to open plains, dotted with small sections of forests and the occasional farm. Several rivers were visible from their position so high in the sky, silver threads lacing through the land, villages, towns, and farms pressed close to them. There were a few points where the rivers were clear of civilization, though they were so close Pippen didn't want to take the chance landing near them, less someone in town see them.   
  
They couldn't stay airborne forever. Glory was strong, but he wasn't a god, despite how powerful he would act. He needed to take breaks if they wanted to optimize the amount of time they stayed airborne, lest they wipe him out entirely and leave them both helpless on the ground. It was too early in this trip, and too calm, for such a maneuver, no matter how nervous Pippen was.   
  
Eventually both of their eyes landed on a clearing in the middle of a forest, the pair circling down slowly. There were no signs of toon civilization to close to this area... Or castles for that matter. They had more traveling ahead of them, and Glory needed a breather. Maybe Pippen could try and mingle among the nearby village, get some directions and maybe glean some advice. It was a logical possibility, but she was still nervous, adapting to her new fully toon body. Would they see through her? Sense she was not one of them? Turn on her?  
  
As Pippen's mind swirled with anxious thoughts, Glory landed in the clearing, beating his powerful wings to slow them down as he stretched his talons towards the ground. Moments later, silence returned to the clearing, the Harpia silently looking around them. He settled down after a moment, sighing softly as he rested his wings, his back aching lightly. They had only been flying for a couple hours, the moonlight still pouring down from above. It would probably be best for them to switch to a diurnal schedule. Most toons were probably daytimers. But they would need a safe place to rest.  
  
"I think.." Pippen began after a quarter hour of rest, struggling with her trepidation. There were so many unknown factors, and nothing she had learned from her father, or her years with Gru, made her feel ready to face a town or village of toons. She would surely stand out. In Wyvera, visitors always captured the attention of everyone in a village, and some of the smaller shopkeepers in towns. She didn't know if she wanted to start leaving traces of her presence yet.  
  
"MONSTER!" A slurred, unfamiliar voice shouted. Glory's head snapped up towards the sound, blazing yellow eyes landing on a toon who had rambled into the clearing. They had a human like body, covered in worn down clothing that had once been rather fancy, and their head was shaped like the upper half of a wine glass. It was filled with a powerful alcohol, something so strong they could smell it even at the distance they stood from him. He was stumbling even as he tried to stand in one spot, but seemed to be rapidly sobering up at the sight of Glory, Pippen hidden against the dragon-bird's neck.  
  
"M-MONSTEEEEER!" He cried again, though this time it was aimed away from them, back towards the forest village they hadn't realized was there. The shadows of the forest helped obscure and distort their shadows into something terrible, only exaggerated by how drunk the wine glass toon was. He kept yelling however, loud enough to alert anyone within a couple miles, Glory hissing lightly in a threatening manner, hoping to shut him up. It failed, the toon only growing louder at the sound.  
  
_"Up! Take off now!"_ Pippen ordered in beast tongue, which typically sounded like a mix of growls, purrs, clicks and hisses. Glory obeyed her, wings thundering as he rapidly pounded against the air to take off. They left behind the screaming toon in minutes, long before any investigation could be mounted, though a single silver and black feather was accidentally left behind.  
  
The pair turned back onto the path, despite Glory's weariness, aiming for the cloud line to disappear from sight. As they soared higher and higher, Pippen began to angle their flight a bit more to the east, aiming towards a distant rocky formation. There had to be caves there near this small mountain ahead of them, somewhere a bird Glory's size could hide.   
  
As they crossed above the cloud line, something else caught Pippen's eyes, glittering in the moonlight. They were tall, silver under the light of the moon, with what may have been dozens of windows embedded in their sides. There were multiple towers like this, perfect rectangles pointing up towards the sky, varying in height and width to some degree. Beneath them, she could see more normal sized buildings, her mind boggled by the sheer height of the towers. The strange sight was just to the west of the mountainous area Pippen was guiding Glory towards, a trip that was doable by foot.  
  
Were those the castle spires? They were certainly tall, like a castle spire should be, though they shone and glimmered in the moonlight unlike any material she had seen before. But there was no castle body, no short squat building connecting them all together. Would a toon castle even look like a Wyverian castle?   
  
It was so strange, these glittering spires that reached towards the sky, as if competing with one another to see who could reach the face of Nokt first. She wondered if such an endeavor would please or displeasure the goddess of the night, who was believed to watch over all thing that aligned with the element of 'darkness' and the night. Probably not. But anything that obscured her vision couldn't be good. It must operate like a castle spire... Why would they build so high if it wasn't for defense.?  
  
Pippen returned her attention to their current destination. It looked like a city surrounded the spires, so it would be a good place to slip into and try to find information. She would just need to be careful. And find a safe place for Glory to roost, and nab some sleep as well. It would probably be better to explore the city under the light of day, rather than at night. While she personally leaned slightly Noktus, or towards Nokt, in her beliefs, she was able to recognize when moving through daylight was to her advantage.  
  
They flew over a small town, and beyond that scattering of houses, not too terribly far apart but not right atop of each other. Their shadow went unnoticed in the darkness of the night as they flew over the buildings, in particular a house with a nicely kept fence. It was the nearest to the forest at the foot of small mountain area. For Glory, it took them mere minutes to get past it.   
  
The mountain was short, far shorter than Sunna and Moonli, but it offered enough space for a Harpia to hide. He would have to stick to flying during the night to avoid being seen, and be very careful with where he went, but it would suffice for the short term.  
  
Their luck turned for the better as they found a sizable cave to work with, the Harpia not needing instructions to land in front of the cave. It was large enough for him to walk into comfortably, with a path up and down that was tricky but maneuverable for someone with Pippen's skills. The cave was deep enough for nesting purposes, and could make for a comfy home if need be, not that either of them had plans to stay for long. But it was a good place to note, just in case.  
  
"All right." Pippen murmured, hopping down from Glory's back and starting to remove his tack, setting it off to one side of the cave to look over later. Glory scratched around for a couple moments, before crouching to take a nap, Redfall fluttering onto his head. The Cardinal was more active thanks to the fact he got to sleep during part of the trip, though he was more than ready to sleep some more.  
  
Pippen dug around in the supplies bags until she found a small blanket, using one of the bags for a pillow. She sighed, laying down on the cold rock, not for the first time in her life, though she still preferred the feeling of a proper bed beneath her. Or at least some leaves or moss to offer some cushioning against the hard stone or ground. But they didn't have time to search for that. There were only a couple more hours before daylight, and Pippen wanted to use those to get some sleep so she could take a look around while Glory was resting. They weren't going to be staying here long either way, so there was no point in gathering comfort materials for a one night stay.   
  


\-------------  
  


_"Hey, wake up! It's morning! Wake up! You said you wanted to be up by morning!"_ Redfall's chirpy voice greeted Pippen as she was slowly dragged back to consciousness, eyes opening in a slow and uneven manner. Her body ached, both from the uncomfortable sleeping conditions and the tension she had been holding onto ever since they entered Tunis and she had changed. It was just supposed to be a fairly simple job. There wasn't supposed to be any life altering changes attached to the simple act of transitioning from one world to another.  
  
Maybe she would change back. Maybe she could change back if she tried hard enough, even here in Tunis. She wouldn't be the first being with multiple forms, and likely would not be the last. But her back ached, and her head felt too foggy and muggy to try and focus on anything as complex as changing forms. Assuming she was even capable of doing so.   
  
"Five more minutes.." Pippen muttered, wrapping the blanket around herself, knocking the Cardinal loose in the process.   
  
_"That's what you said thirty minutes ago!"_ Redfall retorted. Had she woken up thirty minutes ago? It felt like she had in a dream, where she had asked Redfall to give her a little more time.. _"At the rate you're going, you won't be out until sunset!"_  
  
"All right. All right." Pippen mumbled, pushing herself to sit up. Her back ached with pain as her sore muscles were provided some relief, the imp having slept in only one position all night. Unusual for her, unless she was upset or stressed out.. Which she was. Even though she was doing her best to swallow the negative emotions and bury them under her purpose for being here. She couldn't afford an outburst on a mission so important. She just needed to get the job done, and then she could freak out over all the ways her life may have permanently change.   
  
She stood, putting her hands behind her back and pushing, a light pop coming from somewhere along her spine as it realigned. Some of the tension gave way, Pippen sighing tiredly as she rubbed her eyes. Switching from a Nocturnal schedule to a Diurnal schedule was never an easy thing, and that was when she did it properly, taking several days to slowly shift when she woke and when she slept back several hours each, until it matched a diurnal schedule. At least she had practice with managing times when she had to make a quick, abrupt change, though it never left her as stable mentally as she would like. She wouldn't go crazy, but she would be more.. Openly emotional than she would care to be.  
  
"Redfall, come with me. I doubt anyone will look at you twice since you look so much like a common cardinal.." Pippen murmured, the cardinal microstryx landing on her shoulder as she tightened a smaller back-up back pack onto her back. That and she didn't want to go into the unknown without one of her beast companions to back her up, no matter how small and simple they were. Beasts were more trustworthy than most sapient beings.   
  
_"Let's go see about those shiny spires, yeah?"_ Redfall offered, trying to pump her up for the task at hand. For the moment, Pippen was anything but pumped up, instead a slouching, tired figure slowly making her way to the front of the cave, and into the light of Daius. Or rather, the light of the sun. Did Daius and the other gods have any influence here, in this strange land? The thought of being disconnected from the gods was unnerving, but not enough to deter her. She had set out on this venture, and she would see it through to the end.   
  
The climb down was fairly easy, though Pippen skidded down the last foot after a rock gave way beneath her foot. Fortunately she had experience rock climbing, and managed to come through without anything more severe than some scratches, and a slightly twisted ankle. It didn't hurt now, so she planned to keep going, but not before grabbing a stick and shoving it into the dirt next to the rock wall. She took a white and black ribbon from her back pack, and wrapped it around the top of the stick, leaving the ends to trail in the wind. That way, between her and Redfall, they would still be able to find their way to Glory without calling for him out in the open.   
  
Next was the forest, and with a couple trips above the tree line, Redfall successfully guided her through it in a couple minutes. This brought them out onto an open, hilly area, several cottages present, though there was ample space between each. The homes were quiet, their inhabitants likely still asleep, Pippen hastily making her way past them and away from the forest. Last thing she needed was someone seeing her come from there and to go investigating a little to thoroughly.  
  
The pair found a sleepy town at the end of the dirt path that meandered between the cottages, some of the locals beginning to rise. Pippen hadn't gathered her nerve yet, and quietly fled as toons of all varieties began to walk out of their homes to go about their business. She nearly ran flat out into one, a tall figure with a humanoid body, workers clothing, and a projector for a head, quickly catching herself moments before colliding with him.  
  
"S-Sorry!" Pippen squeaked. The stranger cocked his head at her, before shaking it.  
  
_"It's OK. Just be careful where you're running too, kid."_ The voice, which was male, came from a speaker in the figures chest, framed by his unbuttoned shirt. Pippen puffed up her cheeks a bit, tail lashing in annoyance.  
  
"I'm not a kid, Sir." She corrected, already annoyed by the first of what would likely be many mistakes in relation to her age thanks to her height.  
  
" _Pardon me, miss. It's easy to mistake you for a student, what with that backpack of yours and the time of day you're running around."_ The figure replied, holding up his hands in a placating manner. " _Anyway, I need to get to work. Have a good day, Ma'am."_ he gave her a polite nod, before beginning to walk away, Pippen moving out of his path.   
  
_"Kiddo, kiddo, you look like a kid, you know?"_ Redfall chirped on her shoulder, his words only clear to her. She flushed with annoyance, glaring at the bird, before turning for the far end of the village. There was a road leading into the city proper, strange metal boxes on rubber wheels moving along the black road. There was a white section on each side of the road for pedestrians, the wide black portion likely for wagons, steeds, and whatever those loud metal boxes were.   
  
"What are those?" Pippen muttered as she walked down the sidewalk parallel the road. She coughed as a particularly long, yellow metal box on strange wheels passed her, belching a terrible gas from it's end. "What a wretched smell!"   
  
_"Dunno, but I don't like it."_ Redfall muttered, flying to her other shoulder to be further away from the smoke. _"They're so terribly loud and gross. Sounds like they're going to come apart and explode any moment."_  
  
"That's what I was thinking.." Pippen muttered, reluctantly continuing into the city. The city was always the best place to get information, and she didn't want to try the town and run into the metal head toon again. He might start asking questions that Pippen couldn't come up with good lies for. In a town, it was hard to vanish, but in a city it was far easier to leave when things got hairy.   
  
They slowly walked into the city, the massive buildings slowly surrounding them as they walked deeper. The tallest ones were constructs of gleaming metal, Pippen unable to imagine how they had managed to lift so much metal so high without a Gryph, let alone gather enough metal for this purpose. There was no sign of wood being used in the support, only metal, with large glass windows. Why were they so large? Wouldn't that make keeping the building warm even harder? How much fuel did they go through to keep such a structure at a reasonable temperature? Surely the metal did not help it stay warm?  
  
The only kinds of buildings Pippen was familiar with were tents, buildings of brick and mortar, wooden buildings, and something called adobe that she had seen in the far south of Wyvera once. She had never seen a building constructed entirely of metal, though she had seen the expensive material used in important buildings for support purposes or decorations. And those had usually been buildings of great importance, like a shrine to the gods, or a powerful barons home.   
  
As she grew closer, it was clear they could not be castle spires. No castle spire would permit such a flow of the general populace in and out of it, even if it was just one spire. There were no guards to speak of, and the people who walked in and out of the building wore strange, fancy attire, unlike anything she had seen. They carried briefcases, fine contraptions of leather instead of the simple wooden ones she was use to, with gold buttons and embossing and locks on them. If the did not carry the cases, or in some rare cases even if they did, many toons ran in and out of the building with papers, the script upon them unfamiliar but tightly packed, with sections of numbers wedged in. Some looked like accounting papers Gru would keep for the ranch, only far more complex.  
  
She looked for a sign, for something to tell her what this place was, but fully realized now that the script used in this place was completely foreign to her. Instead of the symbols she was used to, a mix of aspects of birds and dragons, such as fangs, feathers, claws, and scratch marks to name a few, there were weird, mostly round symbols, or odd combinations of lines that did not look like anything but a combination of lines. 

Realizing how out of her depth she was, she started to reach into her backpack, sliding it in front of her to reach in, hoping she had a magical charm or something with a magical charge she could use to try and forcibly learn the written half of the language. Why did it sound so similar to Wyverian when it was written so differently?  
  
Unfortunately, she didn't think to stop walking as she searched her bag, walking right into someone and nearly falling over. The figure had been walking towards her as well, and smacked heads with her, his cheek colliding with her face since he had been looking behind himself. Strong hands caught her, or at least one did, another snaking mischievously into her bag.  
  
Pippen stumbled back quickly, flushing in embarrassment as the toon in front of her clicked his tongue in amusement. He was a little taller than her, if you didn't count their horns that is, and sported a simple white tie around the space where his neck would be if he had one, white gloves, and black shiny shoes of a make she wasn't familiar with. He grinned wide, mischief radiating from the friendly look as his pie cut eyes dipped into a quizzical expression. "What's the matter toots? Feeling a bit lost? New to the big city?"  
  
"M-Maybe." Pippen muttered.  
  
"You'se certainly got all the earmarks of a newcomer." The devil laughed, speaking with an odd but snappy accent. His right hand slid behind his back, while he distracted her with gestures from his left. "All slack jawed and amazed. I could take you around and show you some lovely places, toots. I could take you'se for quite a ride!"  
  
"Why- I-" Pippen stumbled over her words, flushing a bit more but slowly puffing up in defiance, picking up the terms 'slack jawed', which she understood, and 'toots' which she didn't recognize or like. And what did he mean by a ride?  
  
Redfall bristled and tweeted with alarm as he spotted the other toon's hand, which was mostly behind his back, but occasionally slid out from behind it as he gestured and spoke. He chattered quickly to Pippen, bristling with anger now. _"He took the letter!"_  
  
"He did wha-" Pippen glanced only for a moment to Redfall, before her eyes snapped to Bendy, following both of his arms. His smug smile only widened as she realized the game, the male holding the letter in front of him.  
  
"What's the matter, toots? Loose somethin' important? A little letter from your lover perhaps?" He teased  
  
"What- No- Give me that!" Pippen snapped, shutting her bag in one quick movement and pressing into him, trying to grab the letter. He held it out of reach, grinning even wider.  
  
"Oh my, oh my! If you wanted me this badly, you just needed to ask toots! I'd be happy to have a bit of fun with a dame like you any day!" He chuckled, laughing harder as the imp's face darkened even further. She was by far the easiest person he had messed with in weeks, and was helping to make up for all the boring days he had suffered in the city. It helped today wasn't an angel patrol day either. He had the feeling he could get some real fun out of this if he played his cards right.   
  
"You know it's not like that!" Pippen snapped, shoving him back, though it only hampered her goal to retrieve the letter. Bendy put a hand over his heart, feigning shock.  
  
"My good Madame, you wound me with your words! How could you ever be so cruel to a simple man such as myself?" He cried, hamming up the drama shamelessly, a couple people looking to the pair. To the outside it just looked like two low level demon toons having a spat, and one hamming it up like they usually did. For Pippen, it was a living hell, having all those eyes on her, judging her, the fear of discovery sharper than ever.  
  
"You've had your fun, give it back!" She pleaded, Redfall chirping in agreement.  
  
"Not so fast!" Bendy declared, waving his finger at her. His grin returned, the dramatic expression fleeing as his eyes glittered with mischief. "I will say when I've had my fun, toots. And I say, the fun has just begun! Lets see how much you really want this letter!"

With that he took off, expertly diving between the crowd, Pippen staring in shook for only a second before quickly pursuing him. Redfall took off from her shoulder, shouting instructions to her as they pursued the devil, Pippen struggling to maneuver the crowds as well as he did. The make up, the available space, it was all different from a city in Wyvera, where she would have the entire road to work with, market stalls to cut through to get around crowds, low hanging buildings to climb onto..

But here everything was tall, and crowded, even tighter than Sol city during the Summer Festival. And the toons were ruder! Where in Wyvera it was not exactly appreciated when people pushed past you, it was understood as part of life and permitted within a certain degree. Here, just touching someone would have them snarl at her in disapproval, ice cold glares coming from exhausted, grouchy faces. She hated wading through crowds to begin with, but here she didn't even have the luxury of using a stryx's flight to avoid the worst of it.

Could she fly? Her dad could. But than again, her dad had far larger wings than her, and was now really the time to practice? There wasn't even room to try and take off! Above her, Redfall was twittering directions, not allowing the clever devil out of his sight, his warnings growing more frantic as the devil pulled ahead.

_"Just push past them! Don't say sorry, don't take your time, just go! That's how the devil is doing it!"_ Redfall shouted down to her. Pippen followed his words, beginning to forcibly shove by the worst of the crowding, though she evaded doing so where she could, jumping over suitcases or running along benches instead of wading through the crowd. The devil was leading them on a wild path, curving every which way, his pursuers only managing to stay close enough to him that any street crossing he passed over didn't have time to turn red before she made it to the same point.

That is, until ten minutes into the chase, and Pippen's luck ran out. Suddenly, she was free of the throng, but she found herself in the middle of a crosswalk, the cars to her right already beginning to move. She had gotten disoriented in the throng midway across, and before she had recovered the road signal had changed. A small demon toon didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, and they all had places to be, so soon cars, both sapient toon cars and normal cars, were roaring and honking by her, one clipping her as it passed.

She barely caught herself, heart beating wildly as she darted between the throng of approaching vehicles, biting back tears as she managed to get across the street, only a few drivers stopping when she was in front of them. Others were too preoccupied by the interior activities to notice her, or care, whipping past her dangerously close. She nearly fell as she reached the other sidewalk, but a familiar hand caught her, quickly dragging her off the street.

"Holy malarkey, toots! What were you thinking?" The strangers voice came to her, though she was only partially aware of him. She was still shaking with shock, the roar of the engines having summoned a number of memories she would rather remain buried. Memories of losing her pinky, almost nearly her entire hand, of the numerous beasts she had stared down in her travels, buying time for people to escape or to lure them into a trap, though the chances of her death were ever present. Memories of a fire, roaring and crackling as it consumed a little wooden house-

"Toots? Aye toots!" The figure called, her blurred eyes not focusing on him. They were small, dull and distant, her skin cool and clammy to the touch. The sound of Redfall's terrified tweeting was somewhere above them, but Pippen didn't understand the meaning behind the sounds. Maybe there was no meaning. Sometimes birds just chirped. She didn't feel that was the case. She wobbled, the only thing keeping her up a pair of white gloved hands, a panicked face trying to bring her back to reality.

Then darkness came over her eyes as her body went limp, the stress of the event, plus the stress of everything else she had been holding back, finally getting the better of her. She was dimly aware of a shout of alarm, and feeling like she was endlessly falling until her mind shut off.   
  
===========  
 **Glimpse of the past**

  
_It was cold in the pit, the pink toon looking up at the steep walls around him. They were sheer, cold dirt and mud, which would give away whenever he tried to climb out, only making his circumstances more miserable. He had given up on climbing a couple days ago, the same day the hunting troop that had discovered the orphaned toon had placed him into the pit. It was the same size as a grave, and as deep as one too._

_Perhaps it would be his grave. The band that had found him were still debating over what to do with him, though some wanted to just leave him in the pit to die slowly. He didn't understand why they were so hateful. How could servants of Daius hate their fellow being so much?_

_That is, all but one of them. There was one among this band of humans who was different both in a physical sense and in her behavior._

_"Hey.." A whisper soft voice came from above his dim hole, Gru looking up eagerly. The young toon was a gawky, awkward mess of too thing limbs and odd tail, his ears low from exhaustion. His frame was scrawny and ragged, lacking a proper cleansing or meal in a long time. A bundle of bread and a waterskin was dropped to him, timed to allow him to catch them.  
_  
 _"Daius bless you, stranger." Gru murmured to the figure. She was small and scrawny, her clothing ill fitting and her brown hair straw like in it's unkempt state. He had seen once, when her back was to him and the shoulder of her right sleeve had fallen, a terrible mark burned into her pale skin. The sigil of a slave. She had a pair of small horns, curving slightly along her head over her hair, and a long thing tail ending in a spade, though it drooped close to the ground and always near her body for safety.  
_  
 _"Why do you invoke Wyverian gods, toon?" The stranger asked softly, though she had no hostility in her voice, only curiosity._

_"Because they created everything. It is to them we owe worship, as children of the earth, and in turn they will intercede for us when our final day has passed, and the judgment of what should be done with our soul is upon us." He recited, something his father had told him. His father had been an old human man, who had claimed to have found Gru one day in the woods. He had buried the old man in a grave not unlike this pit when he passed, and planted numerous flowers over his grave. It was by his old home the hunting troop had discovered him, and taken him away. He didn't know if he could find the old house in the woods anymore. He had never been this far from it._

_"That is what my mom told me." She offered. "But I don't know if they watch over beings like you and I. We're too different from normal humans."_

_"But they created all of the 'rider' class species." Gru murmured, remembering the discussions he had with his father. "Be they human, anthro, mythic, toon, or something in between. If they are gifted with awareness, it was from them. Life won't be perfect or easy, but it's what we make of it.." He trailed off. It was easy to say that. It was another thing to enact it._

_"You're very brave." The half-human girl murmured to him, sitting on the edge of the grave._

_He barked a rough laugh, nearly crying at that simple compliment. "I'm not. I feel like crying until my lungs give out, and I pass from this world to the next._

_"But you aren't." The figure murmured. "You act even though you are frightened. My papa said that is what bravery is."_

_They fell silent for several moments, Gru processing her words. Was he brave? He hadn't tried to fight back when the hunting troop had discovered him. He had tried to run but he hadn't tried to fight. Daius was said to favor the bold, to favor the fighters. Would the god be disgusted with him for his cowardice? Or would it be recognized as him being wise, for he stood not a chance against the numbers that had pursued him. Not even in his wildest dreams could he fight so many people._   
_  
"My papa was a toon, too." The stranger suddenly stated, confirming what Gru had partly suspected. She was either toon blood or demon blood to be so reviled by her masters as she had spoken of previously. Most slaves were treated fairly well, unless they were considered an 'unsavory' type. The outer wilds of southeast Wyvera was not the friendliest, or safest, of places. Slavery wasn't approved of by the capital, but it didn't stop the outer lands and troops like the one that had them in their clutches to defy the capital._

_"Some people are terrible. They hate just because you look a little different. They don't talk to you, they judge you and guess who you are by how you look." She murmured. "It's not fair. Mama and Papa were different. They didn't see each others' outsides alone. They tried to see people on the inside too. Even my big brother, even though he was sort of mean for a while."_

_Gru was quiet, not daring to ask her about her family. She was a slave. There was no point in inflaming her scars. He already knew what the most likely answer would be. He stared up to the sky instead, where the eye of Daius was obscured by heavy gray clouds._

_"I'm.. Going to try and steal some rope." She murmured, the statement hanging longer than Gru liked. He tensed, uncertain what her plans were, but fearing the worst. Before he could speak, she spoke, her words surprising him. "If I did, and I used it to help you out of there, would you leave this place with me?"_

_"Leave?" Gru echoed._

_"I don't want to go alone.." She murmured, bowing her head. "I- I don't like people, not much, but I like you. You have a good feel to you, Gru. You're a good person, and you don't deserve this. No one deserves this."_   
  
_"W-Won't your masters harm you for helping me?" Gru whispered, a tentative blossom of hope forming in his chest._

_"Not if they can't catch me. But I can't go alone. I can't leave you here. It would be wrong." She murmured. Something about seeing such outrageous treatment towards another living being, one so innocent and kind.. It lit a fire in her she thought was long put out, her will to live, to defy, awakening once more. "Will you come with me?"_

_"I would go with you to the moon and back, if you can get me out of here." Gru pledged, eyes big with hope. She smiled, and slowly stood, but stopped as he called to her again. "Wait! You.. You never told me your name. I can't keep calling you stranger. Not if we're going to be traveling partners."_

_"It's Blai-" She paused, before shaking her head. "No. That's there name for me. That is not my name." She looked back to him, eyes brighter and more alive than he had ever seen in the short time they had known each other._

_"My name is Pippen. Pippen Clarke." She spoke quickly, quietly, her second act of defiance towards her masters. The second recent one at least. She hadn't been defiant in a long time. But now that would change. "And I will return for you, I swear." And then she was gone_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fun fact:  
> My version of Wyverian 's written language has 26 letters, just like Tunis' written language, which looks like English. Wyverians is more symbols, relating to extremely common things relating to dragons/birds/ wyverian life, never anything super complex just simple symbols. But there are only 26. 
> 
> I have worked out so far is that the letter N correlates with a moon, the letter D is a sun, and the letter G is a moth. If you read the extra lore in the info hub, you should already be able to guess why this is, though it will be alluded to later too as a small fun thing.
> 
> It is sort of a small hint towards something though I won't say what L:


	4. Double double, even more trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
"Come Luke-Boy! It is this way to land of legends!" Heart called, pointing towards the cave near Tulli Lake. She rode a Tyto, one that was a bit smaller than average at twelve feet of height, where the average was fourteen. That didn't stop the deep green owl tyto, the bird sporting white feathers at the end of her secondary tail, her lower legs, her face and a portion of her neck.The lower half of her flight feathers, the ends of her first tail feathers, the back edge of her legs, and the end of her secondary tail feathers were tipped in canary yellow, making for a nice contrast with the green. Her blue eyes were surrounded by the same yellow, and her back was dark, nearing black in the middle.

The Tyto pecked the rock with her grey beak, bright blue eyes staring into the shallow cave uncertainly. Her rider was pressing her forwards, pressing her towards the rock wall, but it looked very solid to her. Lil Bird turned away from the direction her master was pointing her, looking back to the second Stryx and rider joining them.

The second was a young Corva, the crow dragons aqua blue eyes scanning the area as he neared the ground. His feather were primarily brown, with rows of black barring along his flight feathers, and the secondary tail's feathers. His talons and beak were a pale grey-pink, his throat lined in bright blue feathers. He had a simple black mask, a circle around his eye and going over his beak to the other eye, three white dots above his eyes and a single white dot in the center of his head. The ice breather was cautious as he landed, aware of the potential danger attached to their venture.

"Are you sure this is the way?" Luke questioned, looking to the shallow cave. His stomach concerned with worry for the second head of Sunna Ranch, though he couldn't place the source of his anxiety. He didn't ignore it, however. He rarely experienced such a severe hike in concern, and when he did it was almost always for a good reason. Luke had long learned to listen to his instincts.

"Yes, little beast boy. This way." Heart declared, crossing her arms. "Heart track the seed closely. Heart know Pippen went through here. Strong magic hides the path."

Luke ordered Icarus forward, the crow dragon approaching the cave confidently. He held his head high as Luke's hand began to glow, the boy carefully examining the magic that hid the path. With a bit of careful, focused prodding, he found a small crack, soon pulling down the illusion entirely. If he hadn't been know where to look, he would have missed it, given how carefully it was hidden.

"Heart was right!" The Impim declared, the saber toothed mouth splitting into a grin, whiskers twitching. "Heart will be first!" With that she ordered Lil Bird forward, the Tyto obeying her since the path was lit with fungi.

"Don't go to far!" Luke called, walking Icarus into the cave. He quickly put the illusion back up the same way it had been before, having worked out it's internal workings. If there was one thing Luke was good at, it was learning how new spells, or very specific kinds of spells worked. With the illusion back in place, he spurred Icarus forward, the Corva confidently making his way along the path.

It took several moments, but the other end of the tunnel made itself known as the fungi came to an end, the sun in the sky on this end just as it had been in Wyvera. That was good. At least time appeared to be at the same pace between both worlds. Heart and Lil Bird had already left the tunnel, the Impim stomping around on her bird like feet.

"Heart is first! First Impim! No other Impim before Heart!" She declared, grinning with pride as she clambered back onto the Tyto's back.

"There's no signs of a struggle." Luke murmured, Icarus hopping onto a rock to allow them to scan the surroundings. "No blood, no claw marks. They came through with no issue, and they were not pursued or under attack at this point. That bodes well for Pippen and Glory."

"Blah blah blah. We go further!" Heart declared, Luke looking to her in surprise.

"What?- You said you would be happy just being the first Impim through. You touched the ground, your presence has been within this world. That was the deal. There's no sign of trouble here, so Pippen got through safely. That was all we were going to do." Luke argued, his tone calm but slowly beginning to grow louder with anger. He should have known better than to trust the impulsive Impim!

"We see little more. See if Toons actually here. I only see Gru-Toon. I want to see another." Heart declared. Lil bird flexed her wings, ready to take off despite her comfort with her natural nocturnal biorhythm. She had gotten plenty of sleep the night before, so she was ready to fly through the day. Know that she thought about it, she might be the first Tyto to step talons in Tunis.. At least in recent years. No one really knew the history of Tunis.

"We know they are actually here-" Luke argued, but was cut off as Lil Bird took off, spurred on by a silent signal from Heart. He sighed, glancing between the cave, and the retreating form of Lil Bird. They couldn't leave them alone. Pippen's peace mission would be ruined if they left the Impim unchaperoned.

"After them, Icarus." He ordered, his Corva taking off without hesitation, winging after the pair. Lil Bird and Heart were technically racers, and a very fast pair, but fortunately they were flying at a normal pace. Most likely so they could look over the strange new land and it's odd, drawing like looks.

  
============

  
Pippen groaned, eyes slowly opening, greeted by a wooden ceiling. That was familiar, except it looked strange, as if it were hand drawn. In fact everything looked like it had been drawn. That was what Tunis was li-

Her eyes snapped fully open as the memories came rushing back, the imp sitting up quickly. She was laid out on a bed, a nice cushy one with a thick comforter pulled over her. The soft pillow and mattress were so inviting that she just wanted to sink back into the material, but she knew she couldn't do that. Agatha's letter had been stolen, and when she pursued the thief she had been hit by one of the metal boxes that roamed the black streets.  
  
It had been a glancing blow, but it was enough to put the fear of death in her as she nearly fell into the path of another, barely catching herself in time. From there she had leapfrogged her way through gaps and holes between the metal boxes as they screeched by her at impossible speeds. How they could pick up such a pace so quickly, despite looking so odd and barren, was beyond her, but the damage had been done, and the roar they produced had only helped to summon old memories better left forgotten, overwhelming her already anxious mind.

She tried to slide out of the bed, but stopped, wincing as pain surged through her hip. It didn't feel broken, but it was bruised, maybe even cracked. Her walking ability would be severely hampered by the pain, and the idea of trying to ride Glory with a bruise this severe made her shiver with unease. All it had taken was one touch from the strange metal things to disable her so severely and that had been a glancing blow. What would have happened if the hit had been more direct?

_"Pippen!"_ Redfall chirped, fluttering off of the dresser and over to her, landing on the bed. The room was nicely decorated, with a dresser, a circular floor rug, a table with some pictures stacked on them, a chair, and a great deal of framed art of all kinds on the walls. The pictures on the table held images of a familiar devil and an unfamiliar humanoid toon, slowly aging throughout the pictures. Starting from a tiny tot to an older and older devil, the human like toon slowly picking up light wrinkling and white hair. Despite that, he still had a look of strength to him, and kind eyes.

"Redfall.. Where are we?" Pippen murmured, blinking tiredly. The pain in her hip was steadily growing worse the longer she stayed awake, and part of her wanted to lay back down and pass out into the darkness of unconsciousness once more.

Before he could answer, a knock came from the door. It opened, revealing the white haired human toon. The male approached with a tray of food, the legs of the tray designed to stand to the sides of a person while they lay in bed or sat down. He smiled, expression gentle and warm, and holding no small degree of relief in them. "Oh, your awake. That's good. We were starting to worry."

Pippen glanced out the window, seeing the sun was around it's highest point, though she couldn't tell if midday had passed or if it was just before midday. She looked back to the stranger, anxiety filling her. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"You're at my house. My name is Henry, Henry Stein. You had an accident in the city, and Bendy brought you here to patch you up since it was faster than taking you to the hospital.. and they've started to.. ignore.. demon toon patients." He paused, frowning at the last bit, eyes darkening as he looked away. He moved closer however, setting the food down in front of her, revealing a grilled cheese sandwich and a box of juice. "I had a friend come by and look you over. They say you were lucky, and were only bruised when the car hit you."

"Car? You mean the loud metal box thing?" Pippen questioned. Henry's expression turned to one of surprise and confusion, before he nodded.

"They have a metal frame in a number of colors, four rubber wheels, and an engine that produces the noise. They drive on the paved portion of the streets.. the black tarmac portion." He explained, elaborating further as he saw her expression twist with confusion at certain parts. "They're all over the city. You were very lucky you weren't hit straight on. It could have broken every bone in your body."

"It feels like it's broken." Pippen mumbled, eyeing the box of juice uncertainly, turning it every which way. Henry moved closer, tearing off the plastic encased straw and poking it through the foil top. Pippen recognized what a straw was, though she didn't entirely understand how the paper of the box was keeping in a liquid. She sipped the juice quietly, smiling a bit at the familiar taste of apples, pushing Redfall away as the cardinal hopped up to peck at her plate.

"I'd imagine. Bendy says you took quite a spill when he was watching you cross the street." Henry murmured sympathetically.

"Bendy?" Pippen questioned, though suspicion was beginning to brew inside of her.

"My son." Henry answered, momentarily quenching her suspicions. At least, until he continued. "He doesn't look like me, but he's my boy." He picked up a picture, holding it up to Pippen. This one was clearly far more current, with a figure similar to present Henry and the same Devil she had pursued across the city.

" _Him_!" Pippen hissed, bristling with anger, Henry jumping in surprise. "The thief! He stole something important from me! He's the reason I ended up alone in the middle of the street with the meta- With the cars! If I hadn't been chasing him, this wouldn't have happened!"

"He stole something from you?" Henry questioned, expression darkening with disappointment and disapproval. "What did he take?"

"A letter." Pippen murmured. "A very important letter I am supposed to deliver to someone important!" She tried to slide of the bed again, steadily getting worked up. "I can't fail this task, I can't describe how important it is that it reaches it's destination without being tampered with!"

Henry stopped her, the moving blanket pulling away from her hip, revealing a dark bruise consuming much of her hip in shades of grey and blue. Mostly grey, gaining a blue tint as it neared the edges and returned to it's proper black coloring. It took a couple minutes, but he finally got her to settle down, the pain helping to dampen her desire to move.

"I will get it back for you." Henry promised, gesturing for her to slide back onto the bed. "You need to rest. If you keep moving around, you're going to make your injury worst."

"I- I need to-" Pippen the exhaustion and stress showing on her face.

"I will get it, I promise." Henry repeated, walking towards the door. "Bendy, could you come here? I need help fixing the bed."

Foot steps quickly approached the room from outside, Henry keeping a position that hid the awake imp from the devil until he had walked in. By then it was too late, Henry snapping the door shut and standing in front of it, crossing his arms as he looked down at his son. "I understand you've taken something that doesn't belong to you from our friend, Bendy."

"Whaaaat, I don't know what you're talking about! She must be mistaken, she hit her head pretty hard when she fell-" Bendy began, grinning nervously.

"You told me you caught her just before she hit the ground. You were quite proud of that in fact." Henry cut in, the devil grimacing as he realized he had gotten his story mixed up.

"Aw, c'mon Henry. It's just a bum letter! It's got all these weird symbols on the front and stuff, I bet she doesn't even have a real reason to have it-" Bendy tried to argue, mildly fascinated by the strange symbols he had seen.

"It's not yours, Bendy. Give it back. Don't you think this game has gone far enough?" Henry countered, gesturing to the injured imp. Bendy's lost his smile, expression shifting to guilt as he faced the damage he had caused. He had honestly meant to give the letter back, it had just been so funny to see the strange female so flustered and upset, and the symbols on the front were so odd.

"Yeah.." Bendy muttered, reaching into his 'pocket', which expanded to an unnatural degree. Henry didn't miss the look of amazement that crossed the female Toon's face, curiosity piqued once more. How could any Toon not know what a car was, what with how common they were. Sure, the outer country had less cars, but people still knew of them. And she acted as if she had no idea about a toons natural pockets. It was almost like she was a fresh toon, like Bendy, but she was far too old to be one. Maybe she had lived a life of solitude until recently?

"Here, toots." Bendy murmured as he walked to Pippen's side, holding out the letter guiltily. She quickly took it, expecting him to snatch it out of reach, the devil instead putting his hands behind his back, leaning on the balls of his feet. "Sorry. I didn't mean for it to go like this, honest."

"...I.. I guess it's OK." Pippen mumbled, glancing to her cardinal companion, the small bird eating the bread off her sandwich.

"What's your name, stranger? I haven't see you around here before." Henry asked after a moment. "Looks like you've come a long way, given how worn out your pack is."

"I-I have." Pippen answered quickly, holding the letter close to herself. "I'm.. Not sure how to get to where I'm supposed to be going."

"Than why are you traveling?" Bendy questioned, raising a confused brow at her.

"To figure it out." Pippen countered, evasive.

"We can tell you how to get to where you're going. In fact, we can help you get your letter to where it needs to be. You won't be traveling comfortably for a while with that bruise." Henry offered. Pippen paused, eyeing him uncertainly.. But this is why she had entered the city to begin with. Directions.

"I need to get to Castle City. I was told to.. give this to King Mickey." Pippen hesitantly answered.

"Pfft-" Bendy snorted, earning him a glare from Pippen, who began to bristle with defiance.

"It is important!" Pippen hissed.

"Sure it is, Toots." Bendy laughed. "Good luck givin' it to him, on account of him being missing and everything!"

"Missing-" Pippen repeated, paling. "S-Since when? How long-" Agatha had told he she had been waiting for a message from this side.. Maybe this could explain why she hadn't received one.

"How long, she asks. How long?!" Bendy laughed, looking to Henry with a giddy expression. "He's been gone for ten years, Toots! Ah, you poor thing. Someone's really been yanking your leg and taking you for a ride! There's no way you could ever deliver this letter!"

"I- You must- No-" Pippen shook her head, staring at Bendy in disbelief, quickly, looking back to Henry, who solemnly nodded.

"I'm afraid whoever sent you on this task either didn't know-" Henry began, another snort coming from Bendy. "- Or they sent you out here maliciously. Tell me, where are you from ah.. What was your name again?"

"Pippen" The imp answered, still dazed by the news. She was fairly certain she hadn't told him, but she was too shocked to remain evasive. Ten years. They were ten years late. What was she supposed to do now? Agatha had said to return to them if there was a problem, but that hadn't taken any injuries into account-

"Pippen?" Henry gently murmured, Bendy's laughter no longer filling the air. He too was watching the stunned imp, concern starting to bleed into his expression, mostly in regards to her odd behavior. He hoped she wasn't a danger to Henry. She was acting so weird, acting like she didn't know things that were common knowledge and moving between emotions so quickly. "Pippen, do you remember where you are from?"

"F- Far away." She answered quickly. "I- There are no cities like this where I come from. There are cities but.. not like this." The pair of males glanced to one another uncertainly. That didn't leave them a lot to work with. Cars were fairly common place throughout the country, though rarer the further out you went. As for cities.. well, Silvi was the second largest city in Tunis, and most other cities had pavement and vehicles as well.

"Do you think you could tell me more?" Henry asked gently.

"N-No." Pippen answered quietly, clamming up now, her eyes darting nervously away from the pair. "I-I don't.. I don't feel good."

"I understand." Henry murmured sympathetically. "You should lay down and rest. We'll talk more later." He picked up the tray of food, Redfall remaining atop it to keep eating the sandwich.

_"I'll update Glory and keep him calm. I'll bring him by tonight once the lights are out."_ Redfall twittered to her, having worked out neither of the males were beast whisperers. Pippen nodded to the bird, which Bendy caught, but shrugged it off. She was a weird toon, and that could have easily been a tip of the head from her beginning to fall asleep but catching herself. Even if it didn't look like it..

Pippen slowly lay back down, planning to rest until night fall. Hopefully Henry wouldn't try to wake her before than. She didn't know how well she could evade his questions, still slightly in shock from the incident, and the more recent news. She just needed a bit of sleep.. and then they would work out what to do.

  
\------------

  
It was to the soft sound of tapping against the window that Pippen woke up too, blinking sluggishly. At some point several hours earlier, Henry had come back in to check on her, and had given her something for her pain. It had helped greatly, but it also left her drowsy and a bit sluggish. She pushed through it however, slowly pushing herself closer to the window, and managing to shove it open.

Glory's shoved his head through the open window, yellow eyes dark with concern, eyeing the discoloration on her hip. He hummed and clicked in concern, careful to remain quiet.

"I'm OK." Pippen mumbled, wincing as the bird glared at her in disbelief. "All right, OK-ish. I.. had a bad encounter while looking for information."  
  
_"You ran into a thief."_ Glory rumbled, head turning towards the direction of Bendy's room, eyes flaring with rage.

"Hey-!" Pippen quickly caught him by the beak, ensuring he couldn't move away to do anything crazy. "He apologized, OK? It wasn't his intention for me to get hurt.." She wasn't entirely happy with what had happened herself, and was still a bit upset over it, but she needed to bring things down if she wanted to be sure that Glory didn't decide to take matters into his own talons. He was fairly good when it came to obeying orders, until he felt she was in danger. Then he would become more impulsive and aggressive.

_"You know how we deal with thieves in Wyvera."_ Glory hissed, the sound mercifully soft.

"Well, we aren't in Wyvera, now are we?" She snapped back. "Listen it was just a prank-"

_"That's what they all say!"_ Glory snapped, the sound dangerously loud as he snapped his beak.

"Pipe down!" Pippen hissed. "It was. He regretted what happened, and that's that. That isn't important anymore! Redfall must have told you what we found out-"

_"They claim the King is missing. The thief who stood in your way claims as much."_ Glory hissed, clicking his beak in disbelief. 

"And Henry said so too. I trust him, Glory. The man- Toon has trustworthy eyes." Pippen murmured. She held up a hand as the bird opened his beak again. "Do not. I'm not swaying on this Glory. You don't trust anyone. But Gru's taught me how to recognize good people, and Henry is one of them."

_"Fine."_ Glory rumbled.

"We need to go back to Agatha. She'll know what to do." Pippen murmured, wincing as she shifted closer to Glory. Despite the medication, which was given to her several hours ago, the pain was back in force. "Why do I always end up the bearer of bad news..."

_"You are injured.."_ Glory muttered, anger sparking in his eyes again.

"It was my own fault." Pippen muttered quickly. "And it won't stop me. Agatha needs to know this is why she hasn't heard anything from this side for so long." She leaned into Glory, holding his head as the bird carefully lifted her out of the room. Pain lanced through her side, Pippen biting her lip hard to stop herself from crying out as she was carried out of the room, her legs softly bumping the edge of the windowsill as they passed it.

He carefully turned his head, craning his neck around to put his lower neck into reaching distance. Pippen managed to swing onto it, her lip beginning to bleed from how hard she was biting it to avoid making a noise, slowly sliding down his neck to the saddle. She slowly wrapped the straps around her legs, tightening them with care on his injured side. Bending every which way to do so hurt horribly, and she knew riding the entire way back to the cave would be a nightmare. But she had to do it.

Pippen paused, glancing back to the house. Henry had been kind to her, even if Bendy had cause this incident. She wanted to leave him a note or something, something to indicate for him to not be concerned, but she knew he wouldn't be able to read Wyverian script, and it could easily be misconstrued as a hostage note from whoever had sent her here to begin with. People typically jumped to the worst conclusions after all.

"Go." Pippen ordered, the Harpia beneath her taking off in a rush of near silent wing beats. He didn't have the feathers of an owl or Tyto, allowing for silent flight, but he did his best to be quiet as he took off, unaware of the massive prints he left in the mulch in the garden next to the window.

  
============

**Glimpse of the past**

  
_"Golly.. Maybe I should have left that cave alone.." Mickey muttered to himself, pacing nervously through a thick pine forest. He had walked away from the lake cave he had come through, heading for the mountain that was slightly closer than the other. Night had fallen faster than he had expected, the mouse toon having meant to return to the cave before the light gave out._

_He had been drawn through by the strange magic he had sensed emanating from the cave, foreign to anything he had felt while traveling across Tunis on his journey to learn more of the land he would one day rule. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, and the mouse had gone through, following the trail of glowing mushrooms through to the opposite end, which gave way to a wide open field and a placid lake._

_Mickey was a fairly simple looking toon, sporting a round head, and two flat round ears atop that head. The only thing breaking up his perfectly round head was his oval-ish shaped muzzle, a large oval nose protruding from the tip. His body was simple, a rounded rectangle that was rounder near the bottom, two long arms and legs coming out of the usual spots. From his rear sprouted a thin mouse tail, which hung low with his nervousness._

_His traveling cloths, a pair of red shorts that covered most of his legs, yellow shoes with black marks and laces, and a grey shirt beneath a black jacket, were starting to show more wear and tear from his time in these wild lands than it had during his travels in Tunis. Than again, while he was in Tunis he had been primarily traveling along paths and roads that were well worn and well kept. He had been traveling to cities, towns, and villages, seeking knowledge of what the common Toon's life was like. He had forgone all of his usual regal outfitting for a more common, unremarkable outfit to blend in._

_Now that commoners outfit was starting to tear and shred beneath the unrelenting thorn bushes he kept running into. He had only strayed this far because he had found signs of Toon footprints, or what he believed were extremely likely to be toon footprints. They had been going away from the cave, and had come in such a wide variety of prints, ranging from animal to shoes to claws, that it had to be a toon group. He wanted to get to the bottom of this strange inter-dimensional cave, and why toons were traveling this strange land. If there was a potential danger to be had from this development, then the heads of Tunis had to know!_

_"Darn it!" Mickey cursed as he slipped and fell from a higher point, soon catching on another thorn bush. They were becoming denser, unnaturally so, almost as if someone had curated their growth to create a barrier. He was already in the thick of it, however, and the only option he saw was to get to the bottom and crawl out of the bushes from there. No small amount of curses and admonishments towards the plants escaped him as he worked, wincing in pain as the thorns caught on everything._

_Finally, he reached the bottom, and crawled out of the thorn barrier, only catching on a few more here and there as he pressed as closely to the ground as possible. He sighed as he slid out from under the bush, trotting away from it into a nearby clearing, taking his time to pick thorns from his clothing and hide._

_The mouse toon wasn't even sure how to return to where he had begun, a miserable laugh escaping him. Mickey Mouse, heir to the throne of Tunis, magical prodigy, and beloved prince, helplessly lost in some backwoods of another world, conquered by thorns. Sure, he could set them on fire, but how far would the blaze spread? He couldn't be sure he could control the fire if it grew out of control, and he didn't want to devastate the entire mountain because he was a little upset._

_"Geeze.." Mickey muttered, looking around himself. Behind him was the thorn barrier, thick and imposing, his stinging hide encouraging him to not try and traverse through it once more. Ahead of him was more woods, though the ground was flat, the pine trees interspersed with a couple other varieties now. Maybe if he climbed to the top of one of them, he could work out where he was._

_As he considered his next move, the sound of something flying over head made his head snap up. Something large and dark passed over him, larger than a common bird, and shape distinctly different from a bat. Before he could run, something swishing through the air, low to the ground, wrapping around his legs rapidly and taking him down. He looked down to the leather and stone Bola that had been used to take him down, barely looking back up in time as the nearby bushes shuttered._

_He was met with a spear, a strange humanoid figure standing over him. They were tall, maybe over five feet in height, though it was hard to say with his current vantage point. Their face was sharp, detailed, brown eyes glaring down at him in defiance. The faint moonlight illuminated well tanned skin, and a scar running from just above their left temple, across their eye, and to the top of their lip on the left side. Lips that were set into a disgusted scowl._

_"H-H-Human-!" Mickey gasped, pupils dilating to small dots inside his white oval eyes._

_"Silence." The human demanded, a strange, dragon like bird landing behind her. They were crow like, with a dragon tail that ended in a fan of feather, and thumb talons on each wing. Blue eyes glared down at him, a strange crescent moon like marking between and slightly above the birds eyes._

_The human fell upon him, the crow bringing it's talons onto his back, pinning him. In moments he found himself encased in rope, the mouse struggling helplessly against the expert rope work._

_"La Lune, take him back." The human, who sounded and looked female, ordered of the bird. The crow dragon gave a rasping cry of affirmation before taking off with a frightened Mickey in their claws. He bit back a yell of terror, not wanting to give the bird a reason to drop him, anxiously holding onto his bindings as the trees zipped past them as the bird flew to it's destination._


	5. Escape lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

They flew through the night, Glory's wings beating the air confidently as they traveled back the way they came from. No longer did they meander with uncertainty, but move straight forward and true, the Harpia making haste. Every moment astride his back was a moment of suffering for Pippen, her hip searing with pain with each wing stroke. It would take several hours to reach the cave, but they had caught a good tailwind, which was boosting them forward.

It was only as they neared the cave did their plan hit a snag, the pair stopping several dozen yards short. There were figures around the cave, Toon figures. The Harpias sharp eyes picked out human like forms, with pale hair being the most common color, and round halos atop each head. Pippen had heard of beings like these, angels she had heard them called, but no one had ever seen them in Wyvera, and none knew who they worked for. It was said they were originally meant to work with master of light, Daius, but at some point that had changed, and the angels had vanished. What was left were no longer named angels, but as the Sentinels of Daius.

Pippen's stomach pitched with anxiety, peering through teary eyes towards the figures below. There were over two dozen, light glittering around them as they worked together to seal the cave with a powerful barrier of light. It was already too thoroughly formed for them to force their way through, and Pippen had a gut feeling that even if they had arrived before the barrier was up, they wouldn't have made it through. The air vibrated with the power emanating from the group, even at this distance. It primarily had a feeling of light based magic to it but.. there was an undertow of something else. Something dark and unnerving.

_"I see four of the group have wings."_ Glory warned, the bird lurking among the clouds as much as possible to avoid being sighted. " _We may have been spotted. One is getting ready to take off. Shall we engage them?"_ She could feel him tensing, ready for a battle.

"No!" Pippen quickly cut in. "We don't have enough information to risk a fight. Something down there feels wrong, Glory."

_"I know."_ He growled, sharp talons glittering in the moonlight as he twitched with the urge to fight.

"We need to retreat." Pippen choked, wincing as a fresh wave of pain lanced through her.

The pain in her voice seemed to remind him of the reality of their situation, the bird turning back to the direction they had come from. He couldn't fight with Pippen already injured, she'd be unable to support him. While he was a capable fighter on his own, he would need her back up for when it came to dealing with the more complex types of magic. He would only harm her further with a dog fight now, and they had so little information on these 'angels'.

It was clear his rider was at the end of her rope, her breathing raspier and pained with each wing beat. He had been hoping she would be able to hold out until they reached Moonli, which wasn't that far from Tulli cave's opposite end. But now they had to turn back. The only place he could think to return was the cave outside the city they had left, the only spot they were certain was safe. The small mountain was uninhabited, and had plenty of space for him to fly and hunt if need be. He had already worked out the difference between a _sapient_ toon animal, and the ones on the same level of prey back home. 

Glory flew as fast as he could, staying among the clouds to avoid any pursuers, not wanting to risk an encounter before Pippen was ready. His stamina was beginning to flag, the distance they had covered being more than what he was used to. He wouldn't fail her, however, flying his way through the night sky and into the early light of dawn. It was when he saw the light of the sun begin to reflect off of the city did Glory cut a path that would take him over rockier, uninhabited areas to avoid detection.

As they came upon the mountain, they flew lower and lower, until Pippen abruptly ordered him to land. Her breathing was tense, tears flowing freely in response to the pain in spite of how she tried to stop them. He landed quickly, crouching low as he heard the straps come undone, releasing his rider. He just caught her on his beak as she began to fall, her chest tight with pain.

"I'm so.. rry." She gasped, clutching his beak. "So.. rry."

Glory rumbled in concern, eyes scanning the clearing until he found an alcove beneath a tree he could hide his rider in. He carefully sat her down among the leaf foliage, Pippen's breathing still ragged as he worked.

"Go. Hide. Cave. Stay safe." Pippen ordered, terrified for his safety. An injured toon in the forest would be strange, but they had already seen how toon's would respond to his appearance. At least she had stepped off within several minutes of the cave. Glory could get to safety while she recovered.

Glory hesitated, turning his head and shaking the bag Redfall was perched in, the robin fluttering out to join her. The pair stared at each other, before Glory quickly took off, the sound of his wings loud in the silence of the forest, heading for the cave he had sheltered in before. It looked like it would be his home for longer than they had initially planned. He would retrieve Pippen when night fell, and the darkness would hide his distinctive form. With the sun rise came the threat of discovery, and he could sense Pippen's fear when it came to that possibility. They were trapped in Tunis now, and couldn't afford any mistakes.

Pippen slowly let her eyes sink shut, a soft sound of pain escaping her as she tried to shift to a position that put less pressure on her injured hip. The bruising was darker, now gaining shades of purple as well, the pain thrumming through her side. She didn't have the slightest idea of what she would do now, cut off from her home world and only support, injured and desperately trying to hide a temperamental, twenty five foot tall dragon-bird.

She didn't want to think right now. She couldn't think clearly right now. All her mind could focus on was the pain that thrummed through her body, and wish she was still in the soft bed she had slept in the day before.

  
\---------------

  
"-pen." A voice cut through the darkness that had consumed her mind, Pippen's eyes cracking open in confusion. Sunlight poured down from above, the light suggesting it was somewhere in the afternoon. A blurry figure was crouched over her, Redfall chirping in concern, unable to prevent the artist from finding their hiding spot. He had been searching so thoroughly that even his silence had not been enough to ensure they went unseen.

"Pippen?" Henry questioned again, his voice thick with concern as he carefully pulled the imp from beneath the tree. Her bruising was worse now, he could see that easily, and her eyes. Utterly exhausted, and carrying an edge of defeat to them she did not wear before.

Bendy, himself, and several others had been searching all day for her, though initially it had been Henry searching and Bendy wandering around pretending to search. The devil had initially been fairly certain the imp had flown the coop out of embarrassment, and returned to whatever master had sent her here to begin with. Henry had refused to believe that. Her injuries were too severe for her to be walking around, let alone traveling.

The strange, massive talon prints Bendy had found in the garden mulch by Pippen's window had changed his tune very quickly. He had been the one to stumble across them first while the pair looked for clues related to her disappearance around the house. The color had bleed from his flesh, temporarily turning a pale grey as he had fearfully pointed to the massive prints. They were larger than anything either had ever seen, and the thought of something large enough to create that having been near the house while they were unconscious was terrifying.

Than the search had really begun, though Henry's hopes of finding the imp without further harm having been done to her dropped. He didn't dare think on the possibility of her loosing her life. The thought was too terrible, an innocent and naïve toon loosing their life mere feet from his own room. The fact there was no blood helped him believe otherwise, and the open window.. it told him something else. There were no marks or prints on the outside of the window, no claws or beak marks. The paint was undamaged, as was the wood. It had to have been open from the inside.

"Pippen, I'm going to take you home." Henry announced, speaking clearly and slightly louder than usual. She looked barely aware of her surroundings, her head wobbling from exhaustion, threatening to fall out of it's gravitational pull her body had over it. He'd seen Bendy's head do something similar when the devil was seriously ill or exhausted. The artist carefully picked her up, one hand supporting her head while the other supported her body.

Her strange cardinal flew away, the long tailed bird vanishing into the forest. It had vanished yesterday as well, flying without warning out a window Bendy had opened. He honestly should have considered the possibility of it happening, but the bird had stuck loyally by Pippen's side when Bendy had carried her home, so he had assumed it was safe. Maybe the bird was allowed outside when Pippen was asleep. Maybe it was partially wild, and just stuck with Pippen when it desired to.

There was no saying, and with Pippen falling back into unconsciousness, he couldn't question her. He carried her carefully, aware of how the bruise had darkened, and the pain she was clearly in. He had more medicine, and was considering upping the dose slightly. To help with the pain, and encourage her to rest more until her hip healed. Toons generally healed quickly, but not without rest.

Had Pippen opened the window? It was the most obvious answer, given the state of the outside portion. But why? Had it been for some fresh air? Or had she heard something outside and opened it? If she had encountered the being that had made those marks, had it taken her from the room? How else would she have ended up outside? She couldn't have climbed out, and it wouldn't have made sense to do so with something so large and potentially dangerous outside.

Unless it was her friend.

The thought hit him like a ton of bricks, the mannish toon pausing momentarily. They didn't know much of Pippen, other than she had been sent to deliver a letter to the missing king, the front of which had a strange, symbol like script written on it. And that she had her strange cardinal companion, Redfall. She seemed to have an affinity for birds.

Had Redfall made the marks? The prints were too large for him, of course.. in this form. But if the bird could change forms, maybe he could turn into something larger. Maybe he turned into a monster come night fall. The bird had flown away now, as if avoiding being in Henry's presence as night fell, and he had flown away before night fall the day before. It could be an answer. Henry had seen stranger things. That would explain the prints, and possibly how Pippen had gotten through the window.. but not why.

Unless she had felt she needed to do so to control the bird. Going on the theory it was secretly a monster, or turned into a monster at night, at least. It could explain in part why she was so evasive. Was the cardinal sent with her to keep track of her? Was it-

No, he was getting ahead of himself. He didn't even have proof of his theory. Pippen didn't act afraid of the bird in the slightest, she only showed the concern of a good pet owner. At least what he could assume was the concern of a pet owner. Now he was still jumping conclusions. He would have to wait, and hope the girl would actually talk when she woke again. Even though he had a strong feeling she wouldn't..

As he walked out of the woods, he came across the rest of the toons he had managed to gather together to help him search, the prints in the mulch helping to mobilize most of them. If there was a beast able to open windows silently, and abduct sleeping toons, than it needed to found and taken care of quickly.

First was Sammy Lawrence and Susie Campbell, the music teacher and school librarian worried for the safety of their students. Or rather, Susie was. Sammy was more concerned about Susie's safety than pursuing some run away imp.

Sammy was a mannish toon, mixed with attributes of a ram and small splice of demon blood. He had pale, curly hair and sheep ears, a dark curling ram horn on each side of his head. He had a tail similar to Bendy's, but the spade tip had a fancier and more complex shape to it than the pure devil's. He was wearing slightly less nice clothing than usual, knowing he would be tramping through the woods after his girlfriend.

Susie was a mannish toon as well, and rumors whispered of her having a drop of angel blood in her, despite how angel's rarely married and had children with non-angels. Her face was a nice oval shape with a beauty mark under one eye, her lips in a concerned pout. Her short dark brown hair was pulled back into it's usual bun, which was slightly messier from a day of searching. She had forsaken her usual, colorful dresses for a blouse and pants, and sturdy tennis shoes on her feet.

"Hey!" Henry called, the group moving apart a bit to look at him. He could see Wally Franks as well, the third youngest in the group, close in age to Bendy. He was a mannish toon with a 'Brooklyn' accent, pale skin and a freckled face, his head topped with messy brown hair. A small nose sat between two pie cut eyes, much like the other two mannish toons', widening as he spotted what Henry carried.

_"You found them?_ " Norman Polk called, the fourth of the group. He was by far the tallest, with dark skin on his humanoid portion of his body. His head was a projector, which was lit up a bit brighter than usual as his mood brightened. He knew Henry wouldn't have picked up a dead body. So that meant their missing toon was alive. The repair shop owner stifled his surprise as he realized it was the same strange imp from the day prior, planning to ask Henry for his story when there was a chance.

"What- Really?" Bendy added, looking up in surprise. Standing next to him was his best friend, a tall wolf, sporting a long tan muzzle and thin ears, the rest of his fur dark, near black. He wore his usual patched up overalls, tan gloves, and boots, wisps of sheep's wool stuck to his clothing and his long tail.

"Thank Angelis." The final figure murmured, a young angel who had been sent to 'better' Silvi city and the surrounding areas. Alice Angel was as kind as they came, and taller than even Henry, but shorter than Norman. She had a slim and curvy figure, covered in a black dress. On her hands were her usual white gloves with a halo imprinted on each, and short heels instead of her usual high heels. She had shoulder length black hair, a halo drifting over her head, the only thing breaking from the angel norm being two small horns on each side of her head.

Henry knew the Council wouldn't allow her to stray far from their standard outfits, no matter the situation. Her group of friends were slowly breaking her of this however, logic and reason winning out. It was the first time he had seen her in short heels, something Susie must have given her. The older female had taken to Alice like a great deal, and worried about how hard Alice was on herself.

Norman's projector head grumbled and stuttered with his distaste at the mention of the Angelic Council's god, having no real love or trust for any of the councils. Especially the Angelic Council. He made an exception for Alice, since he had seen she was honestly a good person, and not just putting on a show like he felt most angels were. She was even proving she could learn and listen, unlike many other angels, who blindly followed the council, even after they spat up this god from nowhere.

"Yes. Thank goodness. Now, I'm going home." Sammy intoned dryly, tired and aching. "I have school lessons I still need to get together, and a composition waiting for me."

"I should see him home. Wouldn't want our prodigy composer getting snatched as well." Susie laughed, though the concern showed in her eyes.

"I didn't see any sign of what left those prints." Henry offered. "We aren't even sure if it's connected."

"Not sure if it's connected?" Wally balked. "Henry, the evidence doesn't lie! That imp got snatched up by a bird. A giant one. And if it shows it's feathery hide around here again than I'm out of here."

"There are odd prints by the window, yes, but I didn't find any signs of a bird that could leave those prints, through the forest or where I found Pippen." Henry countered. Susie and Sammy were starting to walk away, both having to get together lesson plans for the next day, as well as other work matters in Susie's case.

"Where did you find her?" Bendy questioned. "Boris and I went through that forest all meticulous like!"

"Well, we looked through it for a bit while Bendy complained." Boris offered in a deep-ish voice. "Then we got a drink because it was hot."

"Boris!" Bendy snapped. "You weren't supposed to mention that!"

"I can't believe you left!" Alice gasped, shocked by Bendy's carelessness. "We were supposed to be working together to find her. What if Henry hadn't checked the woods as well?"

"It was hot." Bendy muttered, kicking his shoe against the dirt. "And we'd been out there since early morning. The forest is big, Alice. Besides, Henry said he was going to look through it too. We searched the part we were told to. I didn't think she was going to be there anyways.."

"It was just a short break." Boris offered in their defense. "Just to refuel. Than we started searching again."

"It wasn't there section of the forest I found her in anyway." Henry cut in, not wanting the argument to continue. "It was closer to the mountains."

_"The mountains?"_ Norman echoed. _"Why would she go that way? If she's injured as badly as you say, she wouldn't be able to make it far."_

"Maybe she was confused." Wally offered. "Things can be confusin' in the dark, specially when you're new to the area."

" _Does anyone know who she is?_ " Norman asked. _"I saw her yesterday, early in the morning. Seemed agitated and scared, and was heading into the city. Accidentally ran into me when I was coming out of my house."_

"No idea. Never seen her." Wally answered.

"I haven't seen her before today." Alice offered.

"Nope. Didn't see her come by the farm yesterday, and I was up by the main road pretty early getting one of my sheep unstuck from a nasty briar patch they got caught up in." Boris offered.

_"Odd."_ Norman muttered. The majority of the paths that lead to Silvi City's outskirts came together at a point just before Boris' farm. Unless she had been traveling through the woods, or flew, Boris would have seen her. If she had taken the other main path she would have passed the school, and neither Susie or Sammy had mentioned her looking familiar. So where had she come from? Those wings didn't look strong enough to fly her very far.

"We met her yesterday." Bendy answered simply, avoiding the details.

"Bendy played a prank on her, but it went sour." Henry continued, earning a glare from Bendy. "She wasn't familiar with cars, or what the paved portion of the road meant. It was an accident waiting to happen, and I guess you could call it fortunate that it happened when Bendy was there. She stopped in the middle of the crosswalk when the light turned and.. well.. You know how people can be in the early morning."

"Like animals, the whole lot of them." Wally scoffed. "Nearly ran down my Ma once, just cuz she was a little slower than the herd. Ain't a bit of common decency in most of them drivers."

"Yeah. A car clipped her before she made it to the other side, and Bendy caught her then. She must have gone into shock, because she passed out and Bendy brought her home. You know how the hospitals have been lately.." Henry trailed off.

" _Wouldn't even look at Sammy's arm last week, though he damn near broke it falling off that ladder in the library."_ Norman rumbled, the mechanical parts of his head clicking with distaste, the light he projected taking a slight red hue. _"It's ridiculous. I bet you it's because they receive funding from the Council of Angels. You know how they've been getting about demon toons, and 'imperfect' and 'dark' toons."_

Alice shuffled with discomfort, halo glowing a bit brighter as her emotions flared. She would have defended the Council, if she didn't know for a fact the hospital did receive much of it's funding from the Council.. and that even though she had lodged a number of complaints with both the hospital head staff and the Council itself, the Hospital continued to disregard dark type toons. She knew how heavily her friendship with Bendy alone weighed against her in the eyes of the Council. She was young, and perhaps a tad bit naïve, but she wasn't stupid. The direction things were going in were obvious.

"Yeah. So he brought him to me. I called over Jack to look her over, since his dad was a doctor, and he has a half demon cousin. Figured he might be able to help me fill in the gaps. He doesn't think her hip is broken but.. she shouldn't have been able to get out that far." Henry muttered.

"Have you taken into account she has wings?" Wally asked, eyeing the dark bat like wings on her back. They were limp, and the muscles seemed slightly underused.

"If she could fly, she would have flown after Bendy when they had their first encounter." Henry countered.

"Yeah. It was pretty clear she wasn't used to the crowd, or the cars. If I could fly, I would fly over stuff I don't like. I see imps do it all the time." Bendy offered, only mildly curious over the stranger. He didn't like the fact she could be a possible danger to his father, who in his opinion was a tad soft hearted. But strangers like her.. with odd letters and symbols and secrets to hide. They were trouble, and not the kind he liked. She had already said she was sent on this delivery job.. Which meant somewhere there was a boss waiting for her.

"Ah. Well, that does make things complicated." Wally muttered, the young toon rubbing his chin in thought.

"Have you tried ask her about everything?" Alice innocently asked.

"Yes, Alice. That's the first thing we tried." Bendy deadpanned.

"I meant gently, Bendy." Alice quipped back, crossing her arms. "I've seen how you get when you're questioning someone. If she's scared to start with, you antagonizing her wouldn't make her want to open up."

"Well if you're so certain about it, why don't you try to wrestle some answers from her! Than you'll see it's harder than prying open a clam with bare hands covered in grease!" Bendy shot back.

"I will! That is- If you will allow it, Henry." Alice quickly caught herself, soothing her temper. Bendy had a habit of getting under her skin, making her act so angry and un-angel like. He had a habit of convincing her or goading her into un-angel like behavior as well. It was frustrating, and terrifyingly exciting at the same time. If she were a good, sane angel, she would have nixed their friendship the moment he started pushing her to second guess the council but.. he always had good arguments, and it wasn't him alone who spoke against the council. It made her question things, and want to learn more to work out the answers for herself.

"Once she's awake, you can try." Henry offered. "But for now, we'll be locking the window.. and maybe keeping watch for a bit."

Behind him, among the trees, Redfall shuffled with unease at the toon man's words, taking off to find Glory and warn him to stay put. The Harpia would definitely not like this, but they had no choice. At least they could be sure that Pippen would be well cared for, if the day she had spent with Henry before was anything to go by.

  
==============

  
_"What do you mean, we may be cut off for a while?"_ Glory snapped, the smaller bird shuffling nervously on his perch atop a rock within the cave. The Harpia had been slowly working to make things more comfortable, kicking out uncomfortable debris and building the beginning of a nest with what he had. He would need it to help keep him warm. They were sealed in Tunis, and the magic that had been used to do so had been strong. Far stronger than he or Pippen could break through alone. They would need help.

But that lead to the question of where they could get help from. From their single encounter with a toon, he had been deemed a monster, though they had not stayed around to find out how other's would respond. And they had been drunk. Without a doubt they had been. The toon had reeked of alcohol, and had alcohol in it's head. He didn't know how that worked, but toon biology was supposed to be wildly varied from the rumors he had heard. Gru had never really confirmed that rumor, but the numerous odd figures he had seen through their flight had.

_"They said they're keeping watch, Glory. And they found your prints by the window!"_ Redfall answered.

_"Than we need to remove her now._ " Glory rumbled, taking a step towards the cave entrance. Redfall flew into his path, fluttering furiously.

_"And start an uproar?"_ Redfall demanded. _"The Henry one is willing to give the benefit of the doubt that your prints and Pippen leaving are two separate events. That gives Pippen room to work with, and possibly start finding information."_

_"Information about what?"_ Glory demanded. " _How quickly they will put the three of us to death?"_

_"Information about this world. About those angel things. About everything. Like it or not, we're stuck in Tunis, and we can't keep flying blind._ " Redfall answered in a soothing tone, landing on the other's beak. _"Just keep calm. I scouted around a bit. To the left of the cave entrance, over the rock wall, there's a small range with prey and water. I haven't seen any toons there, and I haven't seen any paths to there either. You'll have room to fly while Pippen gathers intel, and then we'll be gone before you know it."_

_"I hope she knows what she's doing."_ Glory rumbled, not liking the idea of leaving his rider alone in this strange world. He had claws and a razor edged beak to fight with, and powerful muscles and wings to take him to the sky. Pippen had none of that, and was prone to becoming attached to people when she shouldn't. She was small and vulnerable, and emotional, at least compared to him. The thought of her alone made him sick to his stomach, and made it feel as if he had abandoned her, and his duty, as a tamed Stryx.

_"She does. Listen, she'll get better care than we could offer in this cave, and she'll heal faster for it. I'm sure she will come by to check on us and work out the details as soon as she can."_ The cardinal microstryx soothed, feeling Glory slowly relax beneath him. _"You know this is what she would want. She would want you in danger as only a last resort. For now, we're playing this incognito, until Pippen feels you will be safe. You can take one or two, maybe even a dozen combatants, but you are not invincible."_

_"So be it."_ The larger bird muttered, turning to look outside. It was nearing sunset, one of the times his natural biorhythm encouraged him to be up and about during, but he didn't feel like flying. He would wait until the light had dimmed, and maybe even move a bit towards a more nocturnal shift to avoid detection. He would have to take far more precaution than he had ever had to while in Wyvera.

  
==============

  
Pippen groaned, eyes slowly opening, greeted by a wooden ceiling. That was familiar, except it looked strange, as if it were hand drawn. In fact everything looked like it had been drawn. Every nook and cranny she had seen the other day was still there, unchanged by a single day, or a full nights flight to the edge of the country and back-

Wait. Why was there a ceiling above her. Had she dreamed the entire event?!

She sat up, instantly regretting it as a familiar pain lanced through her side. She could feel the aches in her body typically experienced after such a long flight, especially around the areas where the straps had been. They hadn't left a visible mark, but they left a mark of pain deep in her muscles. Flying while injured was almost always one of the worst experiences of her life, and this flight had been no different.

She heard knocking at the bedroom door, looking up slowly towards the wooden barrier. There was no Redfall waiting for her to awake on the dresser this time, more proof that she hadn't imagined everything. She couldn't have. It was impressive that Glory had managed to get as far as he had, but the bird had a habit of pulling off impressive feats. It had helped that there was an edge of danger to the situation after seeing the cave barricaded.

An unfamiliar figure walked in, a thin woman with curves, shoulder length hair- And a Halo. Pippen tensed with alarm, wheezing a quick exhale, hiding her shaking hands. Had they been seen, had they followed them all this way? Glory had been hiding in the cloud cover as much as possible to avoid to being seen and followed-

Wait. She didn't have wings. She couldn't have followed them. And if they had been followed, than why would they bring her to Henry's house? If she was sighted, they would have taken her somewhere more secure. She smiled warmly to Pippen, seemingly unperturbed by the imp's unease. It was a common enough response to her that it did not bother her.

"Hello, Pippen." She greeted, Pippen shifting with unease at her name.

"How..?" Pippen began to question warily.

"Do I know your name?" Alice finished for her after the imp stalled. "Henry told me, of course. I was one of the toons who helped search for you after you went missing. You gave everyone quite a fright." Pippen bowed her head, guilt flicking across her face. "Could you tell me how you got out there Pippen? Henry said he found you awfully deep in the forest. I can't imagine you walked all that way with an injury like that."

Alice had taken a seat in a spare chair that was kept next to the picture table. She sat down, smoothing out her dress as she looked onto Pippen with kind eyes.

".. Was hard." Pippen answered simply. It wasn't a lie. It had been hard to get out of the room and onto Glory's saddle. Alice gave her a concerned look, but continued.

"Could you tell me why you went outside?" Alice asked gently.

"I didn't want to stay here.. and be a burden." Pippen mumbled. Again, not entirely untrue. She didn't want to live off of people without being able to pay them back.. And she was fairly certain her Wyverian currency would be worthless.

"But you're injured.." Alice murmured, eyes widening in surprise. "No one would see you as a burden!" Pippen didn't answer, the angel sighing. "Did you.. hear or see anything strange when you left?"

Pippen pulled a confused face. "No? Was there a robbery or something?"

"No. We just found very odd marks outside your window." Alice murmured. And a lack of prints from Pippen, but she only realized that now. If the mulch had caught the prints from the giant bird, why had it not captured hers?

"Oh." Pippen murmured, expression flickering momentarily. Was that guilt on her face? Realization? "I'm afraid I didn't see anything."

"That's a shame. The marks caused quite a stir. We even had some of the teachers helping us search for you, they were so concerned there might be a connection to your disappearance and the marks." Alice murmured. Guilt flitted across the imp's face again.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Pippen murmured.

"We can hope whatever made those marks are gone." Alice murmured, Pippen flinching slightly. She would have to be even more careful than she had been so far. "But.. You know, if you are so concerned about being here too long, we could get in contact with someone back home for you.."

Pippen paused, the hand grasping the blanket shaking. "I- That's - I can't." Her face had fallen, reality hitting her hard. She couldn't go home. She couldn't go home. Possibly forever. She didn't have the magical capacity to break that barrier, her magical skills were too unrefined. All she knew was some specialized combat magic. She didn't have the strength to cut through that barrier. And she couldn't get help. There would be too many questions, to much curiosity. It would only endanger Wyvera for her own greedy desire to see her home again.

"I can't go home." Pippen finally gasped, though it was less of an answer to Alice, and more of a mournful declaration of realization. Tears burned into her eyes, unsummoned but coming anyway, as realization hit her hard. She would never see the ranch again, her brothers, her birds, any of Wyvera- "I c-can't go home."

"Why not?" Alice asked, concern lacing her tone. She stood, approaching the smaller toon, empathy glittering in her eyes now. She couldn't return to her home in Cloud City, either. Not until she proved herself to the council. Was Pippen in a similar situation? Why had she been given an undeliverable letter than? "Pippen?"

The angel crouched, wrapping her arms around the imp, feeling the other stiffen beneath her. After a moment, the tears really began, as much as Pippen didn't want to cry, her body shaking with each sob that rocked her form. She couldn't go home. Something so simple, something that she had always taken for granted, was gone. The home she had built, the family she had found and rediscovered. Gone.

"I can't-" Her voice was terse and higher pitched than usual as tears bled down her face. "I can't. I can't. I'm sorry. I just.. Can't." She shook her head. She could never tell any of them. Not unless she wanted to endanger Glory, who she had dragged into this cage with her, and possibly all of Wyvera.

"It's OK." Alice pulled her closer, hugging the smaller being like a child. Pippen felt like a child, crying as hard as she was so uncontrollably. No matter how much she tried to get her emotions back under control, she couldn't. The dam had finally snapped, and as much as could come out was coming out. "It's OK."

"I'm Sorry-" Pippen squeaked, desperately trying to get her tears under control. Alice shushed her at every apology, holding her close and letting her sob her heart out. Dark, shadow, or demon, a toon deserved a sympathetic shoulder. Even if the council disagreed. They couldn't help what they were born as. And not all gave into their darker nature. Just as Alice did not, despite the horns marking her as impure.

It took several moments for Pippen to calm down, sitting back in embarrassment and shame, looking away. She should have had more control over her self than this. She was an adult, a head of Sunna ranch, slayer of a void beast! Well.. it had been with Gru's help, and an auspicious timing. But still. This was hardly behavior becoming of an adult.

"Feel better?" Alice murmured, her voice sympathetic and caring. There was no barb or insult hidden beneath her words, just honest kindness.

Pippen was silent for several moments, before finally answering, still honest. "Yes and no."  
  
"I'd imagine it helps some. Crying is a healthy thing to do, especially when under stress." Alice offered kindly. "And I imagine you're under a lot of stress. I don't know why you can't return home but.. We'll help you. I'll help you. I promise." She put her hand on Pippen's, supportive and kind.

It was strange how nice she was, even though they didn't know each other. Pippen was sealed in Tunis by people cut from a similar cloth as Alice, and yet she felt different from them. There was no undercurrent of something dark, masquerading behind a mask of light. She felt.. real. It was a bit startling how real she felt, while also being so openly kind and compassionate, with no holding back. How could someone live with their heart open to everyone like this, in such a vulnerable way?

"I.. I don't think you can." Pippen murmured, guilt lurching in her stomach as she said as much. She didn't want to come off rude to this bizarrely kind person, but it was the honest truth. And she didn't want to get her hopes up for nothing. "It's.. It's complicated. I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude.."

"I understand what you mean. But maybe I can still be of some help." Alice murmured, smiling softly. "For now, rest and heal. The Steins are good people, and they weren't turn you out onto the street. You aren't burdening them, Henry already told me he wanted to help you." She added the last part quickly, remembering how keenly the imp was aware of her inability to pay them back in some way.

"I- I guess.. If he is OK with it.." Pippen murmured, tired eyes drooping. Her breakdown had cost her what energy she had recovered, and now she wanted to drop back to sleep.

"They are. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise." Alice murmured, passing her a water bottle and a dose of pain pills that had been waiting on the dresser for when she woke. Pippen stared in confusion at the plastic bottle, unfamiliar with the material that made up this 'water skin' she held. Alice smiled sympathetically and helped her open it, waiting to make sure Pippen took the medication and lay down before walking out of the room.


	6. Canoodles of trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

It took several days before Pippen had recovered enough to become some what active again, the imp spending most of that time sleeping to recover. Henry and Bendy carried on their usual life, the only variation being slightly larger meals and Henry stepping in to check on the miserable imp. The pain and bruising was beginning to abate, but it was becoming very clear that she was not healing emotionally. Whenever Henry looked in her eyes, there was still an edge of defeat and hopelessness to it, though she tried to hide it. 

The cardinal hadn't returned either, nor had any sign of giant talon prints returned. Henry wasn't sure what to think. Pippen would still not speak further on anything, outside of what she had broken down and told Alice, who had dutifully told Henry. The man had no intention of throwing the imp out, he never did, but now he was especially determined to keep an eye on her. There was something strange about her and the situation she was in, and it wasn't in his nature to leave toons to suffer on their own. 

Bendy was less than enthusiastic. She was weird, and lacked so much knowledge that any toon their age would know. She wouldn't say where her home was, or why she couldn't go back. Personally, Bendy felt that if the reason she couldn't return was because of the letter failure, she should go back and raise hell. After all, who would send another toon on an impossible task, and then forbid them to return if they failed? It wasn't fair, and she shouldn't let that prevent her from going home (and leaving Bendy's house.)

Henry was persistent however, and being head of the house, his decision was final. It stung ever so slightly for Bendy that this stranger was getting so much of Henry's attention, but he knew it was because she was injured. It would be temporary. She had made it very clear to Alice she didn't want to be here, or at least that was what he had gotten from what the Angel had said. So he only had to put up with the guilty reminder of her bruises for a little while longer. 

Meanwhile, Henry was slowly beginning to educate the stranger, at least while she was lucid and awake. He was being careful with how much medication he would let her have, like any sensible person would be. She was showing signs that she wasn't going to bolt from the building again, if that had been why she had left the first time. For Henry, the jury was still out on the matter. The key witness wouldn't talk, and the evidence was all over the place. He could jump to an easy assumption, like some of the others, but something in his gut told him it would be wrong. 

It was another five days later that Pippen was finally healed enough to walk around, the bruising entirely gone. She had healed quickly, like most toons, with a good deal of bed rest and care. Than she was up and exploring the house, slowly, and mostly when it was only Henry around. She avoided Bendy, partly because he was to blame for the incident that had injured her but mostly because she could sense he didn't want her there. And Pippen wasn't foolish enough to get in someone's face when they didn't want to see hers. 

Henry worked around it the best he could, sensing the tension between the pair and doing what he could to quell it. It didn't help that at the offset, Pippen didn't appear to have any similar interest to Bendy. Bendy was an active Devil, who liked pranks and hanging out with his friends, and he _especially_ liked the city. It was always a source of chaotic fun, at least when the angels weren't around.

Once Pippen came out of her room, she was quiet and distant. To Henry, she seemed haunted, always trying to stay active but not finding enough activity within the house to keep herself out of her own head, and away from her memories, Her only clear attributes were a good work ethic, and her affinity for birds. Often, she would wait for Redfall to return from whatever haunts he would fly off to, and listen to him chatter for a spell. There was always a mix of relief and concern when she listened to him, and it only fueled Henry's suspicions about the bird's less than common nature. He hadn't broached the topic with Pippen yet, at least.

"So, how did you and Redall meet?" Henry asked as they stepped out of the house on the seventh day Pippen had been there. It was clear she was starting to go stir crazy from being in one place for so long, and Henry was taking her on some errands, avoiding the car and choosing to walk. The outer edges of the city weren't that far away, and they weren't as densely packed as the city proper. As long as they didn't follow the main road into the city heart, and stuck to the edges, it should be calm enough for Pippen's frayed nerves.

"Meet?" Pippen echoed, pulled from her thoughts and looking up to the taller toon. "A friend gave me his egg, and he hatched not to long afterwards. Than I fed him and took care of him and raised him up to fly and the like and he's been with me since, sir." 

Henry shook his head a bit at the last part. She was still calling him sir, keeping a verbal distance between the two of them. It was small, but it was a sign she wasn't fully comfortable with him yet, though she was extremely grateful to him for not kicking her out. Once he had started teaching her things, she had started to realize how truely out of her depth she was, and how many differences there were between Wyvera and Tunis. Wyvera had a king, like Tunis was supposed to, but unlike Tunis, Wyvera did not have all these special interest 'Councils'. Councils that apparently had enough power that, when the king vanished, they began to leech the power of the crown away for their own benefit. 

"Have you raised many birds?" He asked.

"Yes." Pippen smiled, but it turned bitter sweet. "I- I don't know if I'll see many of them again. But I'm sure they will live happy lives. They're smart birds.. at least most of them are." 

"So Redfall wasn't your first." Henry hummed. "Would you consider Redfall unique from the others?"

"All of them are unique." Pippen answered, smiling a bit. "Even if they look the same in feather type or color, they're all always unique. They all have their own personalities and temperaments.."

"And unique skills?" Henry asked quickly.

"Hm? I guess. I mean, Redfall is good at singing. Some birds are good at scavenging. Some are good at hunting. It depends on the bird, Mr. Stein." She turned to him, curious. "Why do you ask? Are you considering taking in a bird?"

"Hm, maybe." Henry murmured. It wasn't far from the truth, since he always considered getting a pet, especially since Bendy was old enough now that it would be safe around him. But he usually considered something like a cat or dog. "I'm mostly curious. I've never met someone with such an affinity for birds."

"Birds are nice." Pippen offered, though guilt flashed in her eyes. He had the feeling there was something more to it than just 'birds are nice', but she wasn't ready to tell him. She had this look like she wanted to, but feared the consequences. He didn't think he came off that scary or unapproachable. And he had been told the opposite by most people in fact. So whatever was holding her back had to relate to her secretive home as well.

"Do you understand what they say, Pippen?" Henry asked abruptly. She always stared so intently as Redfall when ever he chirped, as if he were contributing to the conversation. It was odd.

Pippen flinched, looking down. The road had turned to pavement, instead of the dirt they had been walking on, and a sidewalk had appeared next to it as the entered the edge of the city, where their errands were to be performed. She was quiet for a long time, Henry almost certain she was going to drop matters there, until she abruptly answered. "Yes"

"Yes?" Henry echoed, his curiosity piqued once more. "You understand him?"

"Yes. Him, birds, other beasts. I can understand them, if they're putting meanings to their sounds. Sometimes a tweet is just a tweet, or a growl a growl." Pippen answered, looking him in the eyes. There was no mischief or over eager glitter to her eye like he had learned to search for in Bendy's eyes when he said something outrageous. Just honesty, and fear. 

"So their sounds are words to you.." Henry mulled. "I've heard of beast-like toons that are sapient being able to communicate in what they call 'Beast Tongue', but I've never heard of a different kind of toon being able to do it to. Than again, I haven't gotten around that much, so there's a lot I don't know."

"Yeah. I.. I've always been able to do it. Not very well when I was little, but I learned and got better at it. Redfall will come by and tell me the news he's seen and heard. It's what small birds do. They love to gossip if you give them a chance. Sometimes, he tells me pleasant things.. sometimes he doesn't. He just shares it, because that's what birds do. They share information no matter what it is to ensure the survival of the flock." Pippen murmured. 

"Interesting.." Henry muttered, rubbing his stubbled chin. "So that's what all the chirping in the morning is about?"

"Yes and no.." Pippen offered. "Like I said, sometimes a chirp is just a chirp. And birds like to sing." 

"Ah, I get you." Henry hummed. There was a lull, before Pippen looked up to him.

"Do you really believe me?" She asked, nervous concern on her face. "I'm.. I'm just a stranger who turned up from who knows where. I could be lying through my teeth right now."

"Are you lying?" Henry countered.

"No." She answered, automatic and honest.

"I didn't think so. You know how Bendy can be. I've learned pretty well how to detect a lie thanks to the little trouble maker." Henry laughed. "And the world is wide and strange. There's no limit to what a toon could do, be it a born skill or learned knowledge. And you don't have dishonest eyes. Everything I've seen.. It makes sense and lines up with your claim."

"Oh. Thank you." Pippen murmured, bowing her head a bit. "I.. I was afraid.. you'd just think I was lying. It's not how I want to repay you after all your help."

"You don't have to repay me, you know?" Henry answered. "It would be wrong of me to turn you out on your own in your time of need."

"But it's wrong of me to live off of you while not contributing anything." Pippen countered.

"You are contributing. You help keep an old man company, you help around the house, and now you're helping me with errands. No one could argue you are 'living off of us'.' Henry stated confidently.

"...Bendy could." Pippen muttered, almost to soft to be heard.

"Bendy is just a bit jealous." Henry reassured, the imp looking up in surprise. "He's used to having me to himself when we're home. It's a strange dynamic for him to be faced with, having a third person around who gets my attention as well. But he's softening on you. I know that for certain. He always gets defensive over me at the start, but once it's clear the person in question isn't a threat, he starts to give them a chance."

Pippen processed this information, pausing as Henry opened a metal and glass door that lead into a deli, a bell jingling above. It was like a butcher shop, but more specialized, from her understanding. She only recognized some of the letters, the lessons of Tunis' written language being slow going.. Though Pippen couldn't shake the feeling there was something similar to Tunis' script and Wyverian. They looked wildly different but there was something at the tip of her mind, waiting to be realized.

"He must love you a lot." Pippen murmured softly, wanting to keep the conversation private, as it had been.

"He does." Henry smiled, warm and happy. "And I love him. He's my son. Maybe not by blood, but it doesn't matter to us."

'Not by blood.' That was a phrase Pippen was familiar with. She wasn't related to Gru by blood, but he was her brother, in both of their minds. She wasn't related by blood to the orphaned beasts she had taken in and raised, but many of them still referred to her as their mother, and treated her with the respect one showed a parent. And she loved them like her children, though her body and blood had no part in creating them. 

"I understand." She murmured. "Sometimes, blood is not the most important thing that binds us, and determines our family."

He glanced to her, smiling a bit. Sometimes, he would get strange looks or comments for calling Bendy, a full devil toon, his son. But that was how he felt about the younger toon, and he knew that the younger viewed him as his father, and not just a father figure. They were a family, no matter what anyone else would argue. Something in Pippen's eyes told him she was familiar with the concept. Perhaps she had a family of her own, not of blood but of a powerful bond like that of blood, somewhere. 

They took a number, several customers ahead of them. Henry guided her to one of the sets of chairs against the wall, settling down and looking around. He smiled a bit as he recognized some of the faces, in particular Boris and Wally, the pair sitting together and talking. Boris must have been sent out by his elderly mother, Betty, to retrieve an order for them, and Wally was likely buying more lunch meat. He liked his personal sandwiches more than the ones the Restaurant they worked at could offer. That and it was cheaper.

Which reminded Henry that he needed to warn Pippen he would be returning to work soon. He had taken off of his part-time job to watch over the injured imp, but now that she was better he would be returning to work. It was only part time, so he wouldn't be constantly gone. It was just a job to help him make sure ends were met, and that he got out of the house. It had been a small boon in his earlier years, drawing him out of his house regularly, though it had been tricky when he introduced Bendy into his life. Fortunately the restaurant owner had taken after the little devil and had allowed Henry to bring the child with him to work.

"Oi, Henry!" Wally called as he changed seats from the opposite side of the room to one next to Henry. He grinned at Pippen when he noticed her looking at him, holding out a hand. "Well look what the old man dragged in! Nice to meet you while you're conscious, kid. Names Wally Franks. I work with Henry at the restaurant he part-times at."

Pippen shook his hand, cocking her head. "Restaurant? I wasn't aware Henry had a job.." She flushed in embarrassment as she realized how foolish that sounded. Everyone had some form of employment. Even Pippen did, at least back in Wyvera. Both breeding Stryx, and jobs she would pick up from the 'Lodge of Quests'. It was a place people would go to post jobs when they needed help, be it aid on a farm, inquiries for a certain item or items, or hunting down a dangerous beast. Usually the final one would be posted by the lodge itself, to ensure the safety of the general area. 

"I know, I know. He's becoming a big name artist, and we're all proud of him, but even an artist as fancy as him needs a day job to get out and about." Wally laughed, thumping Henry on the back, who gave a bashful smile. Pippen had noticed the art around the cottage, and a small room Henry had called his office, but she hadn't realized it was his work. She felt a bit guilty for knowing so little about the people who had been taking care of her for so long. 

"It helps make sure ends meet if there is a dry spell of work." Henry offered. 

"Like someone so sought after has a dry spell." Wally laughed. 

"And it's like Wally says. It helps me get out and about. Otherwise I would stay home all day.." Henry shook his head. "Or at least, my younger self would have."

"It sounds like a good idea either way." Pippen offered quietly, starting to like Wally. He seemed a positive, friendly person. 

"Mind if I join you?" A deep voice asked, Pippen looking up to see a black and tan wolf, the canine sitting down next to her as Henry nodded.

"Pippen, this is Boris. He's friends with Bendy, and a good toon." Henry offered.

"It's nice to meet you." Boris offered, his voice calm and friendly. He shook her hand as well, tail wagging gently. 

"I-It's nice to meet you as well." Pippen murmured, nervously shaking his hand, his paw more human like than she had expected, and dwarfedher own. 

"I hope you're feeling better. You looked pretty roughed up when Henry found you last." Boris offered, glancing to the number ticket he held. Still a couple to go before it was his turn. 

"I-I do. Thank you for h-helping him." Pippen offered quickly, tail twitching nervously. She didn't want to broach the matter of her earlier disappearance. Alice had already gotten as much as she was going to willingly speak on. She had already said too much as it was to the angel. 

"I was happy to help." Boris hummed, tail wagging lightly. "That's what we do around here. We help one another. Most of the time it's people helping me when one of my sheep wander off. You'd think the silly things would learn not to after the first couple misadventures, but they just keep wandering."

"Sheep are odd beings." Pippen laughed. "Willful and silly."

"That's what I always say! But no one believes me." Boris answered, grinning a bit. His muzzle was lined with sharp fangs, though no threat emanated form him. He was too calm, too friendly and relaxed to cause anyone to feel endangered around him. "Than again, most people get bored when I talk about my sheep. Even Bendy does, though he tries to listen to me. I guess it's just a herder thing."

"Any animal is interesting, if you give it enough time. I mean.. the wild kinds." Pippen offered, tail flipping with uncertainty as she realized Boris was an animal, and the statement could be taken wrong.

"Feral." Henry offered.

"Huh?" Pippen turned to him in confusion.

"I think you mean Feral. The kinds that aren't like Boris here. You can usually tell it from there eyes. If they're small eyed and they can't talk, that generally means they are feral, and safe to hunt, if you hunt that is." Henry explained.

"Oh. S-Sorry Boris." Pippen quickly apologized.

"It's no problem. I know what you meant. Henry already told me you don't know some things other toons do, so I'm not bothered. We all gotta learn at our own pace." Boris smiled gently, sitting back comfortably. He had been a bit of a slow learner while still in school, so he didn't hold it against anyone else if they did or did not know something. Even common knowledge. Sometimes common knowledge for one person wasn't common knowledge to another. At least, that's what he believed.

Pippen smiled weakly, nodding to him as well, glancing to the pair of number boards as well. It was a machine of constantly harnessed electricity, which ran through 'wires' and 'outlets'. Pippen was familiar with the concept of electricity, of course. There was the electricity inherent to lightning, or in the plasma breath of a Stryx if they were born with that ability, and electrical magic. But she was not familiar with this method of constant electrical presence, relentlessly flowing though and to machines. Wyverain machines were usually Stryx or beast powered, or empowered by magic, be it temporarily or through magically charged items or objects.. 

"Speaking of which, could you three keep an eye out for Octavia? She's our youngest ewe, and she has sweetest baah. She's been wandering from the herd more and more and I'm worried she might get stuck somewhere when I'm not looking and get lost." Boris continued, his tone one of concern. 

"We'll keep an eye out for her." Henry promised. 

"If I here any baahing, you'll be the first person to know." Wally promised. "But if they're in another Briar bush, you can bet I'm outta there." 

"I'll just need to know where she is." Boris assured. "And I'll come and collect her from whatever trouble she's gotten into."

"I swear, if reincarnation is a thing, when I die I want to be reborn as one of Boris' sheep." Wally laughed, grinning. "Those things get treated like royalty. Wish more people were as nice to one another as Boris is to his sheep."

"Well, it's my job to take care of them. And they give me they're wool and affection in turn." Boris offered, smiling shyly.

"It's a good point of view." Pippen offered. "Most people just see animals, err, Ferals, as commodities. They forget that they have feelings to. Even if they are livestock, they should still be treated well.." 

"Mhmm." Boris nodded, grinning in agreement. "We should respect each other, and be grateful."

Their was a ding from upfront as the numbers changed, Wally and Boris standing. There numbers had been called, and the two counters available for orders was free of customers. 

"See ya later, Henry, Pippen." Wally stated as he started to walk to the front. 

"See ya another time." Boris added, both of them walking to the front of the store.

"So, do you have a preference in deli meat?" Henry asked after a moment. "I could buy some for you, if you'd like."

"Oh- Uh. No. I don't." Pippen murmured, flushing a bit. She wasn't even sure what 'deli meat' was. It looked like normal meat, but sliced up very thinly. She didn't want to say something that wasn't present here, or in Tunis to begin with. She didn't need to give any more hints of where she was from than she already had. 

"Don't have a favorite, or just don't know?" He asked gently. Pippen looked down, flushing hard as he hit the nail on the head.

"Don't.. know." She mumbled.

"Well, we can try some things. No harm in it. Bendy likes most anything, so long as it doesn't try to eat him first." Henry laughed, letting the situation pass. Pippen was grateful for this, going silent and watching the store curiously. Strange, humming machines sliced big chunks of meat into fine wide strips, meticulous and even. Always the same perfect thickness, but varying width thanks to the variance of the meat chunks width. It was a good method for marketing, from what she understood of things at least. A method that would produce the same amount of meat every time, with nice, even pieces that were easy to work with. 

Eventually they got their order, Henry buying a little bit of everything as he had claimed he would, curious to see how she would respond to the various meats. Pippen was an odd character, a strange blend of naivety and worldliness. She knew so little of common matters to the world, so little of machines and electricity and the politics of the world. And yet, her conversation with Boris, and other remarks she had made to Henry, suggested she was not totally new and oblivious to the realities of life. She was a foreigner, but from where he had no idea. There was no place he could think of that would lead to such an odd blend of character. 

They made their way to Norman's repair shop next, Henry intending to pick up his tv remote. A small _incident_ with Bendy's mischief had lead to the device being rendered totally inoperable a couple days ago, and they had dropped it off with Norman to see if it could be repaired. This was roughly the fifth time they had to do so, and Henry was starting to wonder how many times Norman could revive the small device before they had to replace it.

The pair walked peacefully, Henry occasionally pointing out what something was if Pippen admitted it was something she didn't recognize. She absorbed the information dutifully, though she was embarrassed to admit to who little she knew, even if Henry was kind about it. It lead to far too many questions, but fortunately Henry wasn't asking to many questions. At least not yet. He was polite like that, something Pippen was extremely grateful for. 

The repair shop itself was uncomfortably close to the edge of the high rises, as Henry called what she and the birds had been calling the glittering spires. High rises, or skyscrapers. That was what Henry had called them. It seemed fitting, given how high they were, despite the low elevation of the land and flatness. However, it was just outside the city proper, still within what was considered the edge of the city, with low buildings of normal height, made with wood, plaster, and brick. 

A bell jingled as they pushed the door open, Pippen glancing around the repair shop curiously. There were shelves of refurbished machines, parts, and tools, as well as a section in the back where much of the repairs seemed to be done. In front of that section was a desk, in front of which stood a tall figure with a film projector for a head. A figure Pippen had run into on her first day.

Henry approached confidently, Pippen nervously trailing after him. She wasn't sure how he was going to respond to her, and there were so many unfamiliar odds and ends in this one small building. She recognized some of the more basic tools, but there were an expansive number of wrenches and other specialized tools she didn't recognize. She eventually approached however as Henry waved her forward, tail low with unease. 

"Pippen, this is Norman. He's the one who runs the repair shop. You can count on him to do good work, and maybe some interesting information." Henry winked at the last bit, a raspy chuckle coming from the other toon's chest speaker.

_"Sometimes. Depends on what you want it for."_ Norman hummed, referring to the last part of Henry's introduction.

"You say that as if you don't gossip with Wally every chance you get." Henry laughed, turning back to the taller toon. "So what's the word on the remote?"

" _I'm afraid it's given up the ghost, Henry. At this point, repairing it would be more costly than just replacing it."_ Norman answered. " _If you want, we have some that are compatible with your brand of TV in shop. You can look through the stock and if you find one you like I can check and make sure it will work."_

"Ah, that's a shame, but I'm not surprised." Henry admitted, shaking his head. "Maybe Bendy will learn to be a bit more careful with the remote from now on." 

Norman laughed, shaking his head. "Bendy? Careful? Are we talking about the same devil?"

"He is careful." Henry argued, though he was smiling as well.

_"When he's up to something."_ Norman chuckled.

"Well.. True. But there are other times to." Henry laughed, putting up a weak defense for his mischievous son, turning his attention to the remotes on the far side of the shop, walking over to browse through them, leaving Pippen by the desk. She was busy looking over the shop, head cocked in thought.

There were repair shops in Wyvera, of course, but nothing like the stock Norman's store had. She had been to repair shops that dealt with horse shoes, stryx tack, hunting tools and traps, general tools, things like that. But there was scarcely anything familiar in this repair shop. Only strange metal contraptions, glittering glass screens, buttons of plastic and rubber, and toys. 

_"See anything familiar?"_ Norman questioned abruptly. _"Anything you're interested in?"_

"N-No." Pippen murmured, though she tried to pass it off as her answer for the second question. Norman was too sharp for her tastes. "I don't have any money, so there's no point in being interested in anything."

_"I guess you could think of things that way. But seeing something you like but can't afford can give you a goal to work towards."_ Norman pointed out, trying to keep her talking. People who were as uncomfortable with lying as she clearly was almost always started to make mistakes when they were kept on their toes. He wasn't suspicious of her purposes in being here, not yet at least. She just seemed very lost, and slightly confused by everything around her. She seemed innocent, for the moment. 

"Maybe.." Pippen mumbled, not meeting his eyes. She glanced back to Henry, nervously waiting for him. 

_"Did you find what you were looking for in the city the other day?"_ Norman asked. 

"..No." Pippen answered.

_"Maybe I could help."_ He continued, prying gently.

"You.. can't.." Pippen looked away, twitching with nervousness now. "Henry.. already worked out it can't be done. So I won't bother you with the matter." Henry was starting to walk over to them, helping to cut off the conversation from continuing. Norman let it drop, though he had every intention of prying further into the matter with Henry. The pair had known each other for years, and it was unlikely that Henry would hold back, unless he felt it was something severe. 

  
\-------------------

  
The rest of the day had gone smoothly, with Henry introducing her to various figures around town. In a sense it was good, because she felt less like a sore thumb standing out among this small community of people, but at the same time it would make getting around without being noticed harder as well. It was a blessing and a curse, soothing her isolation, but making her more recognizable to others as well. She wasn't sure if that later part was good or not. 

Pippen continued to help as much around the house as much as she could, something Bendy was slowly approving of, especially as he was able to slip some of his chores into her care. At least, until Henry caught on and brought things back into order. Bendy had to play a part in the house upkeep as well, that was Henry's belief, even with a third person in the house helping with matters. 

That was annoying, but Bendy had rolled with it. He hadn't expected that scheme to run for long, given how much of a stickler Henry was for the rules he had set up. So long as Bendy lived there, he had to contribute in the house upkeep. That way, according to Henry, when he moved out he would be able to take care of his own home. Bendy didn't care for it much, given he had more entertaining things to do outside of the house, but he followed the rules none the less. Mostly. Unless he could find a way around them. 

It had sparked his interest in Pippen however. The imp was fairly handy and intelligent, but a bit of a pushover from what he had seen. He could make use of her, possibly. It would be beneficial to them both, technically, so long as she followed his lead, which she seemed capable of doing since she followed Henry around like a lost duckling. If the strange imp was going to be occupying Bendy's house, than Bendy was going to see if he could make some use of her.

So that was why he approached her one day, as she was scribbling in a sketch book Henry had given her. Bendy only gave it a passing look as he waited for her to realize he was there. She was good in her own right, but she was no Henry. Most of her work was pretty neatly done, but there were points where things grew more hectic, drawn wildly as if to channel emotions she would not show otherwise. It was weird, but in the end Bendy's judgement was simple. She didn't hold a candle to what Henry could do.

"Say, Pippen." He called sweetly, the imp jumping at her name. She had been in the middle of one of her more frantic drawings, the imp snapping the book shut once she realized he was there. "I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Help you?" Pippen echoed, seeming only half there. She was slowly focusing on the present again however, the half wild look in her eye fading. Bendy didn't let it bother him. He had heard some artist went weird when they were drawing, and while Henry never did, he wouldn't put it past the strange imp to be one of those types. 

"Yes, help me." Bendy echoed. "I have a bit of a job in mind, and I could use some extra hands. There's a junkyard outside the city where people throw away all kinds of things, even stuff that isn't broken but they just don't want. I was planning to go over there and shift through it and find some of those treasures and turn it in to the pawn broker for some cash, and the good metal to a fella I know who will buy it. I figured, outta the kindness of my heart, that I could let you in on the deal. You need money too, don't ya? And the junk yard is the easiest way to get it, with no bosses yelling at ya' or annoying customers."

"A.. 'Junk yard'?" Pippen muttered, shuddering a bit in distaste. A couple of Wyvera's cities junk yards, though it was not to the extent she would discover here, she still didn't like them that much. And Henry had mentioned that some of their advanced technology could be harmful to the environment, if not discarded with care. Why would anyone endanger the environment, and their homes, with such carelessness? The junk yards in Wyvera got a lot of flack, and were less a permanent place in most cases, and more of a point where people were discarding things before it was broken up and cleaned up. At least, in most of the cities it was that way. 

"Yup. Some of it is actual junk waiting to be processed by the junk yard workers, but they hardly put a dent in things most of the time. But there's plenty of treasures to be found, and the junk yard workers don't care, as long as you aren't adding to their work or knocking down any of the mountains. C'mon. Showing you will be easier." He grabbed her hand, making the decision for her. They needed all the daylight still available to them for searching, and to be gone before twilight. 

"Wait, mountains?" Pippen echoed, though she received no answer, running after Bendy. Hopefully he had intentions of splitting the funds evenly, or at least fairly. The imp was still getting a grasp of Tunis currency, on what was what, and working out a comparison to Wyverian currency to make things easier. She couldn't help but feel he wouldn't, and that he had picked a day that Henry was working to spring this on her because it wasn't something the mannish toon would approve of. 

They kept running, Bendy keeping her on her toes as they made abrupt turns here and there. The devil was _fast_ , and at one point Pippen had to start running to actually keep up with him, and not be dragged along. She didn't _like_ to be dragged around to begin with, and her pride bristled at the thought of everyone seeing him drag her around like a disobedient pup. Soon enough she was keeping pace with him, which he found mildly impressive, but given she was a traveler of some sort it wasn't much of a surprise.

He mercifully circumvented the city proper, sticking to the edges as he ran. It was far faster to run alon the outer edges than wade through the crowds, and when he had started to approach the city, Pippen had started to actively resist his pull. He didn't want this scheme to collapse in on itself before it even got started, so he choose the simpler solution. 

Soon they left civilization behind, the pair running into the woods, Bendy slowing the pace slightly. He didn't want to fall into the junkyard again. It was never a fun fall, especially since there was always something sharp or jagged waiting to cut him or anyone else foolish enough to touch it. Their gloves would help them avoid cuts, and the possible trip to the hospital for a Tetanus shot. And the inevitable fight with the hospital workers to give them proper medical care. 

The edge of the junk yard appeared before them after several minutes, Bendy still holding Pippen's hand. There was no point in giving her a chance to back out before she saw things. The edge itself was a drop of several yards, the pair approaching from the side rather than a proper entrance. There were a couple natural ledges in the dirt wall, which would allow them to climb down the same way Bendy usually would.. Unless.

"Hey, toots, you don't think you could use those wings to get us down there all nice and neat like?" Bendy questioned, turning to Pippen. 

"Not.. really." She admitted. She had been working on flying, mostly when Bendy wasn't around to laugh at her failures, but it had been slow going. She had raised plenty of birds to fly, and had seen Lycans, chiros, and bats fly as well, and had seen how the wings of the later group, which were similar to hers, worked but.. She hadn't had much success. She always tensed up and over thought things, either beating to slowly, or to fast and burning herself out. It made her wish she could go to the ranch chiros for advice, but being trapped in Tunis canned that idea. 

Unless she summoned one with one of the magic coins Mistress Agatha had given her. She had those, though they were stored away in Glory's cave for safe keeping, just like she had hidden most of her Wyvarian goods, currency, and the like. She could use them, but then that would entrap the whichever bat stryx she summoned in this land as well. It was hard enough hiding one stryx, but hiding two? That would be pushing her luck to a degree she didn't want to try. 

"Tch. Lame." Bendy muttered, turning away from her. She bristled, shame and offense intermingling. She wasn't sure _why_ Bendy of all people was able to get under her skin so effectively, but he always did. Maybe it was because they were both in the same type of toon, if not the same subtype. Maybe it was left over from the wound her pride had taken after she had been thoroughly trounced in the city on her first day by a simple thief. It didn't matter, in the end. He just could.

Bendy yelped as he felt hands go under his arms, leathery wings beating furiously. Pippen managed to get them both off the ground, teeth grit with defiant determination as she flew them over the gap. It wasn't the most graceful flight, and the end of it was more of a barely controlled drop or dive, but she managed to get them both down into the junkyard intact and uninjured. 

She collapsed onto him once his feet touched the ground, realizing too late she hadn't figured out how she would be landing once he was in contact with the ground. The pair hit the dirt, sputtering as the lost particles shot up into the air from their collision. It took a couple minutes, and no small amount of wheezing and coughing, but they managed to get up and dust themselves off, Bendy smirking a bit once he recovered.

"Geeze, you can't seem to keep your hands off of me, can you, toots?" He chirped cheekily, Pippen flushing hard.

"You know that was not- Would you stop!" She snapped, groaning in embarrassment as she covered her hot face. He laughed, the sound fading a bit as he began to walk around. 

"You are too easy, toots. Too easy. How could I resist? You make it so easy!" He chortled, digging out a sack from his pockets. Sure, they could store all manner of goods in their pockets, but storing junk in there usually ended up leaving a smell on the rest of his items, and staining his gum. He didn't want to repeat the last time he had tried using his pockets. He turned to Pippen, who was glaring defiantly at him, though her face was still flushed grey. 

"You know, if you keep your face like that, it'll get stuck." He teased, smiling cheekily. "Now, let's get to work. We only have so much daylight left to work with. It isn't that safe once it gets dark."

Pippen set to work, though she was still fuming a bit over how often Bendy would twist things around to be what they _weren't_. She dug around with care, hyper aware of the towering piles of scrap metal, porcelain, dirt, and other bits and pieces of junk. She had never seen mounds of refuge so high, but she was grateful it was not a _waste_ dump. Bendy wouldn't have been able to drag her to one of those, not for anything in either Tunis or Wyvera. 

In the end, Bendy was the one she had to go to fairly frequently to act as judge for the things she found. They were mostly scavenging metal without rust, or only a small amount, anything that looked like an intact machine component, and all manners of odds and ends. It was clear he had been running this gig for a while, and had a working list in his head of what he could and could not sell from years of experience. Which was handy, since his instructions helped Pippen focus her own search. 

The bag slowly filled, and by the time it Bendy called a halt to the venture, the sun was beginning to set. Pippen's wings still ached from the strain of carrying Bendy down, and she gave him a look that made it clear she would not be flying again as he looked to her limp wings. Which was fine by him. It had been a slightly nerve wracking experience to abruptly find himself in the air, held by someone he had just upset. At least it hadn't ended poorly. And she had helped him find a good haul. 

"All right, Toots. Let's head into the city and sell this off. I don't mean the area with the high rises and the worst of it. There's a spot on the east side of the river where we'll get a good deal for this stuff, and we aren't cutting through the city. The _angels_ are on patrol today, and I ain't in the mood to put up with them." Bendy announced, referring to the river that cut a portion of the city off from the rest. From what Pippen knew, the 'east side' was a less than wholesome area, with higher crime rates, less upkeep to the buildings and roads, and a surplus of gangs. 

Pippen twitched a bit at the mention of angel patrols, but nodded in understanding, following him as he began to walk towards one of the exits. She had heard a lot about these angel patrols, mostly from Bendy complaining about them to Henry, and she wasn't eager to meet them either. They apparently had it out for her type of toon, and those in categories similar to demon type toons.. But the brunt of it was for the demon or 'shadow' types. Even though they were more than just their species. 

It was only a couple minutes later that trouble arrived, announcing itself with a loud crunch of metal behind them, and the snarl of something large. They both turned quickly, eyes wide as they were met with a titanic can, at least three times their height. It looked to be a soup can, something Henry had introduced Pippen to before, though of a monstrous size, and sporting eyes and a mouth. 

It's eyes were simple, white ovals slanting into a glare, with pie cut black pupils. It's mouth was nearly invisible, except it was a slightly darker space on it's black body, and lined with jagged fangs on the top and bottom half. Two short legs, with shiny shoes at the end, helped it stand, and two arms, far longer than the legs, were at it's sides, white gloves covering it's hands, dingy and dirty. The only signs of wear and tear were snippets of gray near the base of it's can body, as if a tear in a black label, and the chipped, nicked edge of it's can lid, which was bent back partially despite sitting on his head.

"YOU!" The figure shouted pointing at Bendy. "I've told you to stay out of my Junkyard!"

"Try and make me, Canoodle!" Bendy cheekily shouted back. The figure snarled, starting after them, the grin fading momentarily from Bendy's face as he turn to Pippen. "RUN!"

She didn't need to be told twice, the imp running as fast as she could once it was clear the beast was coming after them. It could have been easier if Bendy hadn't gone out of his way to antagonize the beast, but of course Bendy couldn't deal with things peacefully. Not when he thought he had an edge. 

Despite the danger, Bendy was still grinning, an ever defiant smirk on his face. He didn't feel endangered, not after having escaped Canoodle's wrath more than once. As far as he was concerned, the can was full of hot air and little else, always chasing him to the edge of the junkyard and stopping there. They were almost there as it was, and he knew that Canoodle would stop once they reached the exit, to fume and shout like usual.

At least, that was what he expected. But today, Canoodle did not intend to let the devil off easily. Today he was prepared. The massive can pulled a large butter knife from within his can body, and took aim, throwing it like a javelin ahead of the pair. Pippen shoved Bendy out of the way in time to avoid the knife as it neared, the object soaring just past them to slam into the base of a junk pile. It came crumbling down in seconds, leaving the exit inaccessible. Not unless they climbed over, but that would slow them down far to much. Canoodle would be on them in moments, and grab them with his long arms if they tried. 

"K-Keep running!" Bendy shouted, abandoning the bag of goods near the pile. They could try to retrieve it later. Maybe. If either of them felt confident enough to do so. Right now, all he was focused on was escaping. If only Pippen could reliably fly! Than they could be out of her in an instant.

"I'll get you this time, you thief!" Canoodle shouted behind them, his focus on Bendy, but willing to take down his accomplice as well. He was pitching barrels and other refuge at them, the pair narrowly dodging the thrown objects as Bendy tried to figure out where they were, and make their way to another exit. They were running at the same pace, ragged breaths puffing out of both demon toons as they ran, Pippen watching their back and shouting when they needed to move, while Bendy watched their front, and moved Pippen whenever an obstacle appeared. 

The junkyard was a mess of tunnels, junk, and bland, dull brown dirt, speckled with bits of metal and glass in places. There were very few solid landmarks, save the tunnels, but those couldn't be easily told apart since they all looked basically the same. Worn down half circles cutting through dirt, lined with a Hodge podge of metal and wood to prevent them from collapsing. But nothing that stood out and could act as a landmark. 

Pippen was doing her best to keep faith in Bendy's ability to guide them out of the junkyard, but it was becoming clear pretty quickly that he was lost. It was the confusion in his glance as they came across a blockage of trash and the like that had not been there before that tipped her off. 

"I think he was waiting for me- I mean us." He admitted as they ran, still dodging the relentless rain of trash coming from the infuriated can. Occasionally, he would throw a fork or spoon, trying to spear the pair or at least clip them and injure them enough to stop them. He threw them with enough force to bury the tips into the dirt quite deep, neither of them eager to find out what taking a hit from that would be like. "Everything's been rearranged!"

"Shit-" Pippen hissed, glancing back to the can. The can beast was smarter than she had initially thought, and was proving utterly relentless. If it had rearranged things to catch Bendy, than it would likely not have left a way out. Not unless there was an oversight. "Do you have any idea of where we are in comparison to an exit at least?"

"Somewhere nearer the middle than the outer edge, toots." He answered quickly, the pair splitting apart moments before a massive butter knife speared the path they had been following. This one came dangerously close, the can monster somehow finding the strength to start and throw the weapons with even more force. It was only becoming more and more enraged with each moment they evaded it.

"We have to fight back-" Pippen began.

"Fight back? Are you insane? Are we looking at the same Canoodle?" Bendy demanded, looking to her in shock. 

"We can't keep running! If he's set this up to keep you from the exits, than theirs going to be a dead end! We have to fi-" Pippen argued, cutting off abruptly and pointing up, trying to get closer to shove Bendy out of the way. "Look out-!"

She couldn't reach him in time, part of a sink colliding with the Devil's head. He collapsed, Pippen sliding to a stop and twisting to run back to him. It was too late however, as Canoodle was rapidly closing in, the dizzy devil only able to weakly hold up a hand. He barely managed to squeak for help before he was snatched up, the can pitching him into it's body and slamming the lid down, holding it down to keep the devil from escaping once he recovered. 

Canoodle started to reach for Pippen, but she was already ahead of them, biting her lip in guilt. The moment Canoodle had gotten his hands on Bendy, she knew there was no chance of recovering him like this. Not on even ground, with a towering can and it's massive hands aiming at her. She had no weapons, and if she tried the few magical skills she had she would likely injure Bendy, thanks to the fact he was inside the can now. No, she needed to play this with care if she wanted to get the devil out.

"That's right, keep running!" Canoodle shouted, seemingly pleased with Bendy alone. He turned, both hands on his lid to keep the recovered devil trapped as he started down a path towards the center of the junk yard, and too his lair. He would figure out a punishment for the devil there.

Pippen slid to a stop as the can turned it's back to her, immediately switching gears. She couldn't let it drag Bendy away to who knows where. At the least, she needed to find the location of it's lair. At the best, she might find a way to recover the devil on the way there. 

Canoodle was moving at a slower pace, shaking his body every which way to toss the devil around inside, breaking down his resistance. It made it easier to follow him, though Pippen winced at every thud from inside the can. She tripped over a mallet as she carefully stalked after the can, picking it up and continuing to follow him as she examined the condition of the item. Fairly good, workable at least. Maybe she would find some use.

The monstrous can lead her to the center of the junkyard, where a massive cave had been dug out the side of a mountain of junk. It was all meticulously balanced inside with a blend of dirt, mud, and items, though it looked unnervingly haphazard and dangerous. He walked in while Pippen watched, taking in the lay of the land around them.

Immediately next to the cave was a looser pile of junk, which looked ready to collapse at any moment if the bottom of the junk was messed with. There were a couple other small hills, but they looked to stable to work with, and held nothing of real interest. Seeing little to work with outside, she made her way forward, carefully peering into the cave, making sure the shadow of her horns were not cast into the cave. 

Canoodle had removed Bendy from his body, but now had the devil in a small bird cage, just large enough to shove the devil in and snap shut over him, but left him with no real room to move. To his credit, Bendy was trying to force apart the rusty bars, but was failing miserably, nervously glancing to Canoodle every couple moments. The can itself had a fire going, a bubbling cauldron over top of that. He had an odd item on hand, and a glass tonic bottle nearby, which Bendy kept staring at in fear. He didn't seem to be making soup or stew, but something else, something more magic based. 

"Make a demonic tonic of you, that's what I'll do. Sell you to the river folk, never see you again. They don't let devils like you run free." Canoodle muttered, pointing his spoon at Bendy. The liquid was dark, and glittered faintly with magic, the devil cringing in fear. He had already experienced once what it was like to be trapped as the magic source for a demonic tonic. If Henry hadn't found him when he did, Bendy wasn't sure he would have ever escaped. 

"Make a tonic of the imp too, but they're probably gone. Than I'd have lots of money. Buy more junk to replace what you stole." Cannoodle continued to mutter, returning to his brew. Whatever was going on, Pippen had the feeling she didn't have a lot of time to deliberate. 

She looked over the cave, realizing that outside of the small clearing Canoodle was working in, the cave was primarily a haul of junk. All manners of junk, from alarm clocks, to bells, to noisy toys. And plenty of shadows to work through, if she was careful. She set the mallet down next to a fragile looking grandfather clock, which appeared to be the primary support for the unstable pile next to Canoodles lair. Then she took a deep breath, and crept in.

As she snuck through the shadows, she watched the pair, wincing as Bendy sat down in defeat. His head hung low, thick tears of fear boiling out of his eyes as he grasped his tail tightly. A demonic tonic.. He would spend the rest of his life in a bottle, like a genie in a cursed lamp, able to see the world around him, but unable to do anything, only there to serve as the catalyst to empower any brew that was dumped into the bottle with him. It was cruel, and it was a practice the Council of Shadows and part of the Council of Magic had pushed to outlaw, but it was still being done under wraps. No one cared much for one less demon toon in the world, especially if that reduction lead to something useful. 

Alarms began to blare from the shadows of Canoodles lair, the can looking up in confusion as he nearly knocked the cauldron over. He grumbled in irritation, having believed he had turned off all of those alarm clocks, his aggravation growing as various toy noises joined the cacophony, a mess of creaking, groaning voices and music from half dead toys. It only took a couple moments for him to snap, the can storming over to the end of the cave where his junk pile was, beginning to work through the devices to shut them off.

Pippen slipped through the shadows as the can passed, first moving to the cauldron. She dumped dirt and magic neutralizing powder into it, having found a small canister of it among the pile of junk. She wasn't sure if it would work on whatever Canoodle was making, but she rather damage the substance than leave it in the irate can's hands. Then she turned her attention to Bendy, who had looked up at the noise, and could barely hide his disbelief and elation as Pippen closed in on the cage. 

"You came back!" He gasped, watching as she worked the outside of the cage. 

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" She answered. The bars were too thin for him to fit his fingers through, and the rust made it far harder force them to do so. But Pippen was on the outside, and with a bit of a struggle, she managed to force the latches to the cage open, the top half splitting away to release the devil. It fell away with a metallic thud, just barely louder than the cacophony still being created by the junk pile. Canoodle turned in time to see the pair shove the cauldron over, the material splattering onto the ground towards him.

The can monster roared in fury, jumping from his screeching junk pile to pursue them. The slick brew contents slowed him down, the can struggling to get past it as the pair ran out of the cave. Bendy kept running, only to stop as he realized Pippen wasn't with him, turning quickly. He spotted her, still near the entrance, holding a mallet and taking aim.

"Pippen!" He called desperately, terrified that she was going to try and actually _fight_ Canoodle. She didn't answer, cocking the mallet back.

"Deep breath." Pippen murmured to herself, taking aim at the load bearing grandfather clock. She locked up, sweat beading on the back of her head and back as she met eyes with the struggling can. Burning eyes, full of fury, hands reaching out for her, momentarily morphing to claws before her eyes, talons from another time-

_'Tasty, young morsels for my beak to break, soft bones to crack and snap.'_ A voice from the past hissed to her and _her hand was bleeding, pain lancing through her left hand, it was useless-_ No! No it was not! That time had passed, and she would not let the fear conquer her, not now, not ever! No beast, no matter it's form, would ever make her feel so helpless like that ever again!

She swung the mallet, the wooden hammer slicing through the water damaged wood of the clock like a hot knife through butter. Only a small portion of the body remained, rapidly crumbling beneath the weight it had once held. She felt a hand on her shoulder, tugging her away, the imp turning to follow the devil as the junk mountain began to collapse, swamping the entrance with all manners of odds and ends, concrete, metal, plastic, and everything in between.

They narrowly escaped the avalanche, continuing to run several yards even after the junk finally stilled. They looked behind themselves to Canoodle's lair, seeing that the mountain it had been built in had collapsed as well beneath the weight of the spreading junk of it's sister mountain. There was no way Canoodle was coming back out of that any time soon, and if he ever did, he would not try his luck with them again. 

"That was brilliant!" Bendy gasped, still breathing hard from their run. He stood upright, wiping dirt from his form, looking to Pippen again. "You know, I wasn't too sure about you before. But now? You aren't too bad, toots." He held out his hand, Pippen hesitantly taking it and shaking it. She was fairly certain this was the closest he could get to an actual compliment, at least as far as she had seen from him.

"You aren't too bad yourself." Pippen offered weakly, uncertain what else to say. "I'm just glad I arrived when I did. What's.." She paused, before continuing, voice hesitant and soft. "What's a 'Demonic Tonic', Bendy?" 

He balked, shock covering his expression. "You don't know?!" She flushed nervously under the exclamation, shaking her head. There were plenty things she didn't know-

"It's the most dangerous thing that can be done to a toon like us, Pippen. It's horrible, dark magic that traps you in a bottle.. leaves you alive but utterly helpless." He paled as he spoke, looking away for a moment. "It.. It makes a demon toon into a catalyst. A means to make a potion stronger, if it's introduced to the same bottle. It saps your strength to do so but.. it never kills you. You just exist, forever, helpless.."

Pippen paled as well, staring nervously at him, her arms wrapping around herself. "O-Oh." 

"I can't believe you weren't warned." Bendy murmured. "Even the worst of the demonic bosses warn their cronies of the signs of someone brewing a demonic tonic. It.. It isn't easy to make, it requires a lot of potent stuff, and.. And it isn't legal. But people don't care. Demons don't matter. We're just worthless trouble."

"... I don't think you are worthless." Pippen murmured after a moment. "Trouble, yes, but you aren't bad. Your just mischievous. Why is it suddenly evil to be mischievous when you are a demon toon, when it wouldn't be if you were something else? And you are kind. When you want to be at least. But you're capable of kindness. It isn't right." 

He looked up to her, staring at her for a moment. "For what it counts.. I don't think you're worthless either." He murmured softly, smiling weakly as he wiped his eyes clear of any traces of tears, recent or otherwise. "Heh.. Thanks."

"It's OK." Pippen murmured. "I mean.. People usually say it's nothing in response to things like these, don't they? But it doesn't feel right to say, because what I said is more than nothing."

"You're weird." He laughed, the pair beginning to slowly walk, sticking close together nervously. "But a good weird."

"Well, thank you." She laughed as well. "You're trouble. But a good trouble. How's that?"

"Why thank you." He declared proudly. "I work my hardest to deliver the highest quality of trouble to the fair denizens of Tunis-"

"OK, stop-" Pippen snickered, gently shoving him. "Now you're just being silly."

"Silly? You haven't even seen silly-" Bendy began, the pair laughing as they found their way out of the junkyard, and back home to a very worried Henry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i recently learned that you could add pictures to postings on AOO  
> I may or may not make use of this, I am making no promises  
> but it might happen


	7. A 'Glorious' hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
  
  
Glory was a fairly simple stryx, by most people's judgement when they first saw him. A silky Harpia, second largest breed of the avian family, and third rarest coat type. he had what was known as a silky tail, which was always a nice combo with his silken feathers for the show rings, who were suckers for 'aesthetics'. He cared not for such matters, for 'shows' and strutting around for riders to judge him on his physical appearance.

The mighty Harpia was no breeder's delight, only having a simple silver unders to mark his coat. He had no eyelets, no aurora, no marks of the gods favor. He was a simple black feathers, with silver under wings, along his chest, his neck, half of his face, the underside of his tail feathers and legs, and the majority of his legs, save for a stripe of black above each talon. His talons bore no fascinating hues either, both they and his beak a vibrant but common gold. But his appearance meant little to him, save that he was clean and free of debris.

No, his thicker feathers, especially the ruff around his neck and the confusing swirl of tail feathers over his dragon tail were a gift for battle. The thicker feathers made it harder for his opponents to reach his flesh, the tail feathers confusing their aim and making them miss his tail. He would sooner loose a thousand tail feathers than loose his tail, his second most valuable weapon. His simple coat gave him nothing to be concerned over, no marks to be absurdly proud of and feel the need to protect. His scars were his marks and his accents, and what told his story far better than any genetic marking. 

He was a fighter, through and through, and while his rider had worked hard to temper his hot-blooded nature, she could never extinguish it. She never tried, either. They both knew it was part of him, as much as his wings or talons. All she asked was that he be more careful when he released that hot blooded fury, that he picked his battles with care. And for the most part, he did. It wasn't easy, but being more refined in his choices had it's advantages, though he was slow to realize this in his early years.

Glory that tears the sky Asunder. That was his full name, the name given to him by the strange seer that would come and go to the ranch as it pleased. The seer that Pippen distrusted so much, yet had saved his life when he was but a sickly hatchling, the only cost his strange name. It was the kind of name a bird would receive after an amazing feat, or became an arena battling legend. It wasn't the kind of name one gave so brazenly to a chick, half dead from an illness. But that was his name.

And he would live up to it. He would be the Glory of a thousand battles, or he would die trying. His victory count stood at 768 by his count, and he had been counting since he could understand the concept of numbers and keeping track of things. He had a very refined rubric by which he decided if something counted towards his battle count, and he stuck to it strictly. Hunted beast did not count, unless they were ones who were truly a challenge, and had downed another stryx and rider, or could. Battles with other stryx counted with no exceptions, but did not count if he did not see his foe beaten down and utterly unable to fight any more. Battles with beasts depended on the challenge they provided. Battles with humanoids, mythics, fictivs, and all the various divisions of riders only counted if the one in question was a challenge. Otherwise it would just be a cheap way of padding numbers. 

He was very strict about his victory count, which Pippen did not understand but didn't try to stop. It didn't appear to be a dangerous habit yet, and every stryx had an odd tick or two. At least he wasn't a cannibal, or neurotic. That's what Pippen had replied when he had questioned her on the matter once. Canniballism wasn't common, but it was a tick Pippen had always secretly feared one of the ranch birds would develop. It was rather unlikely, however. Most stryx only developed cannibilistic habits in extreme cases for survival, or when they were mentally unsound to some degree. That's what he understood of it at least, from what he had heard from other stryx. 

As things stood, Glory did not really like Tunis that much. For one, he did not get to see much of Pippen, save for the odd day or night where she managed to sneak away to check on him personally. She was getting too attached by his measurement of the situation, but she wouldn't hear him on it. It wasn't that he distrusted everyone, as he assumed, though he was hesitant to trust others, but that he was concerned with how this matter would end. How long could she keep up the lie of being a pure toon? How long could she hide him? He knew he couldn't leave. He did not want to leave the being that had raised him, and had fought by his side so many times. Not for some smart mouthed toon, and an old man who would turn on her if they knew what she was. 

For what it counted, he would not be the one to reveal her secret. Not if he could help it. By Galyx's wings, he hoped it would not be him. He wasn't sure if she would be upset with him if he was the one to reveal the truth, even if it was accidental. He didn't want to be the one to destroy this small degree of happiness and calm she had managed to find in Tunis. He preferred this moment of peace and calm to the panic he knew was still lying beneath. 

So he waited for her to feel safe enough to move once more, to gather this intel Redfall claimed she was seeking. She was learning things, that they could both prove. The notebook she had stored in his cave for safekeeping, and would furiously write notes into when she was there, was proof. Her teaching him the Tunis' script, or at least the words he needed to know, was proof. 

But her speaking of Henry and Bendy as often as she did was proof she was getting attached. He _knew_ her. He had known her all four years of his life. He recognized the signs of people getting around her emotional barriers and actually leaving an impact on her. And the signs were there. She was setting herself up to be hurt, and wouldn't listen to him no matter how much he warned her. 

He couldn't bare to be still for as long as he had been. He had started to fly further than just the hidden range within the cradle of the mountain. He did not fly to areas where there were people. He avoided the town, and the city, instead flying over the open range of a farm, making sure to fly as high as possible so that any who looked up to him would only see a small form in the sky, and would mistake him for a common bird. From there, he would fly over the ocean. 

Recently, he had discovered a fairly peaceful isle to the Northwest of the city. It was unfortunately inhabited, but the west most half of the isles was primarily forests and wilderness. Places he could safely stop and explore. Perhaps even find something to whet his beak against. He doubted the later. Pippen would not be pleased with him if he needless began to battle and fight everything he came across, even if it wasn't on the mainland.

The isles themselves were four closely knit isles, with bridges connecting each individual isle. The second and third, which were more developed than the first, were connected by a small mountain range, which he intended to avoid. It was likely developed for mining purposes, and appeared to have several buildings built into it. The mountain range was mostly along the northern most end of the second isle, and a portion of the northwest corner of the third. Than there was the fourth isle..

There was something dark about the fourth isle, something he could sense even from far away. A strange railway, as Pippen had told him such constructions of flat metal and wood were called, was present, though it seemed to go nowhere but through the encompassing mountain range over and over again. At the furthest point of the island, where the land ended and sheer, jagged rock began, were round steps of red and gold. Gold poles with white spheres on top, connected by velvet ropes, lined the entrance, guiding anyone who came by into the jagged cave mouth. There was something written in Tunis script before the steps, three words with a star between each, and above the cave mouth was a sign with a spade, a club, a diamond, and heart, along with letters on circular pieces, and a curving arrow pointing inside. 

He had only dared to fly close to it on a dark night when the face of Nokt was mostly hidden away, when his feathers would be hardest to pick out. The sliver of moonlight made it easier for him to pick out the details, though all of it felt terribly wrong. What person would put forth such glamour on the outside of what appeared to be a common cave? What were those words written before the steps? And the sounds.. he had been in caves before, and had been near them on the outside as well, but he had never heard such mournful, terrible sounds from a cave in his life. 

After his brief reconnaissance, he made up his mind to stick to the first isle. The third appeared to be where most of the residents of the island lived, a town springing up so uncomfortably close to such an eerie place. Had the town been there first, or had the cave been in such a state when they choose to build? Either way, there would be plenty of toons to startle and scare on the isle, and that meant he had to avoid it.

Matters were much the same for the second, though it was less developed than the third. It was more spacious as well, with strange plants, solid rainbow bridges, and strange metal contraptions in places. It seemed anyone who went there did so for the sake of merriment, though he did not understand the joy of being lifted in a metal box that only moved in a circle, or shot along a track of wood in a metal box at astonishing speeds. He himself enjoyed speeds and height, as would most stryx, but he enjoyed it because it was under his control. Toons, and most humanoids and similar species, were strange.

So it was on his sixth day of reconnaissance that he began to explore the first isle. There were a couple buildings, here and there, but they were primarily in open patches of land, and often clumped together. They were easy to avoid. And the woods held a wealth of treasure. For starters, there were plenty of bugs, which made for good quick snacks, and plenty of good wood which he took home to the cave to continue building a proper nest with. There were also a number of coins to be found, if one were patient and watching the ground. He would hand them off to Pippen when she next checked on him, as he would have done if they were still in Wyvera. These, and many other things he found and collected over time, whisking them away to his cave home. Some had uses. Others were simply pleasing to him. 

Things were going well, until the second week. He had managed to gather quite a haul with his explorations, and had finished his nest completely long ago. At this point, he was just exploring for the sake of exploration, unable to stand being still. The mountain range was too small to contain him, and the forests of the isle gave him far more space to work with. More space to spread his wings, to sharpen his claws and beak without the marks being noticed. 

At least, he though he was going unnoticed. So when two plucky young toons, both with porcelain cups for heads, came after him, he was mildly surprised. He was surprised the youths would even try their luck with him, to begin with, given his size. He had been careful when he whet his beak, and sharpened his claw, striving to keep them spread apart as much as possible, as well as not to obvious as to the sheer size he bore. It had been a long, arduous process, but it had apparently paid off in confusing the locals. Or at least, he had fooled the children. 

They had found many signs of Glory's presence in the past two weeks, despite the stryx's care, from claw and beak marks, to shed feathers. The pairs caretaker, Elder Kettle, had been mildly concerned by the appearance of the strange feathers and marks, and they, or the older one at least, were determined to put his mind at ease despite what the elder had said. 

The Elder had told them not to seek out the strange bird, stating to them that what they had found reminded him of something he had read about once before, though he needed time to find the book again. But that had not been enough to stop Cuphead, as matters usually were. The marks had seemed small to him, and if they caught the bird making it, Elder Kettle would be able t tell what it was far easier.

"Cuphead, no!" The second of the pair declared in alarm as the first brother threw himself from a high vantage point onto Glory, having only seen a hint of the black and silver feathers they sought. It was only after he had landed his net partially onto Glory's head did he realize his mistake, the cup's dark eyes staring into pale yellow eyes. 

Being up close allowed the stryx to rapidly absorb the details of this potential combatant, though he soon discarded the idea of him being a potential opponent. He was too young for Glory's tastes, and clearly out of his depth judging from the terror on his face. 

The boy was a young toon, sporting red shorts, brown shoes, a black long sleeved shirt, and the ever popular white gloves so many toons wore. His head was literally a porcelain cup, even with a handle towards the back, a bent red and white straw poking out of the top, filled with a mysterious white liquid. He had two large eyes on the 'front' of the cup, which was the part opposite of the handle from Glory's best estimate. The pie-cut black pupils shrank in fear at the sight of him, nearly matching the size of the small red nose beneath and between where his eyes met. Bizarrely, he had a mouth, but the liquid did not fall out, instead leading to what could be assumed to be his actually biological components.

The second was of similar height and build to the first, though he sported blue shorts instead of red, and a straight straw that was striped blue. His nose was also larger than his brothers, the same blue hue present everywhere else, and his head was shaped differently, more like a mug and less like a proper cup. The whites of his eyes took up less space on his 'face' as well, though the pupils had shrunk in terror at the sight of Glory. 

For a moment, there was silence, the trio staring at one another, Glory's eyes sliding between them calmly. They could see the scars that peered out from beneath his thick feathers, the wicked shape of his beak and the sharp glint of his talons. For the moment, there was no action, as the bird processed the audacity of the older brother, and it was a moment they took advantage of.

"RUN MUGMAN!" The red brother, Cuphead, shouted to his brother, quickly releasing the net he had partly wedged onto Glory's head, and bolting for the trees. He was in such a hurry that the straw in his cup fell out, and though he momentarily stopped and started going back for it, the sight of Glory still standing in the clearing sent him running away once more. The second, Mugman as he was called, had bolted back into the section of woods they had come from, no doubt heading for their home. 

Glory watched as they departed, listening to the cacophony of noise the pair created as they fled. He turned his gaze to the fallen straw, slowly approaching the fallen object. He shook his mighty head, the net falling away with no trouble, landing next to the straw and making it easy for him to pick both objects up. He did so with care, aware of the power in his beak and the sharpness of it's edge, and began to walk after them. It would be faster to fly, but he knew how imposing a figure he was in the sky, even more so than he was when he was landed. His goal wasn't to cause even more of a stir. 

It took him a couple minutes, but he eventually reached the small peaceful cottage the pair called home. They were still outside, pointing towards the forest in terror as they rapidly spoke to a taller figure, who was rubbing his chin in thought. Despite the boy's obvious fear, he seemed thoughtful, slowly wringing out a description of the 'terrible' beast they had encountered.

The figure, one Elder Kettle, looked very much like his name sake. He was a khaki colored kettle, with a metal 'mustache' beneath his spout, which seemed to be his nose. He had two simple, flexible arms, ending in tan gloves, which held a cane to help support him. Despite being made of metal, he had wrinkles beneath his eyes, which were similar in shape to Mugman's, being two oval whites with large pie-cut pupils. Beneath him were two legs, bent with time and possibly the weight of his body, the feet covered in simple slipper shoes for comfort.

"Now, this bird you encountered wouldn't happen to look like that, now would it?" The elder object type toon questioned, pointing his cane towards Glory, who had slowly walked out of the woods, the net and straw still in his beak. The pair turned to face him, both shouting in shock and alarm, cowering into the elder, who stared calmly into Glory's eyes. A moment passed, before the old man laughed, turning to the boys.

"I believe he's here to return what you've lost, Cuphead." He announced, gesturing to Glory's beak. To prove his declaration, the stryx set the objects down, shoving them towards the group with his beak before backing up, trying to signal he was not her for hostile purposes. The elder smiled again, a calm whistle coming from his nose. "Just as I thought. He may have a ferocious physique, and the scars of many battles, but this is no senseless beast my boys."

The pair of youths were eyeing him curiously now, taking note of the intelligence that lurked within those unnervingly small, sharp eyes. They had seen the weapons mother nature had given him, and the numerous scars hidden beneath fine feathers, but neither had stopped to question why the bird had not retaliated when Cuphead had attacked. It would have been well within it's rights to do so, both by the law of the wild and by the rules of civilization. 

"My good bird, I do have some questions for you though." The Elder continued, bravely walking closer to Glory, who eyed him with curiosity. It was a rare figure who could approach him with such casual calm when they were still strangers to one another. Could his eyes really tell the elder so much? "Are you what is known as a Harpia?"

Glory gave a start of surprise, sending the pair of cup headed children, who had been nervously following their elder, running back to the cottage. He lowered his head closer to the Kettle now, his own eyes flashing with interest as he bobbed it once, as he had been taught would indicate yes to those who could not speak beast tongue. The kettle grinned, fascination glittering in his own eyes.

"So they book was correct! Indeed, you are no ordinary bird, but a merger of dragon and bird, a beast of both aspects." The Kettle half murmured to himself. "I always wondered where the king had encountered such beasts before.. but perhaps you will be willing to answer me, if I may borrow some of your time. I have met only one of your kin before, though they were of the owl variety I believe. I have a book the king entrusted to me before he disappeared, if you could give me a moment-"

The old man turned back towards the cottage, making his way inside to find the objects he spook of. That left boys outside with Glory, who tried to look less intimidating than usual, though it wasn't easy. He was more used to pouring on the intimidation, and not toning it back. But he didn't have the heart to frighten the children any further than he already had, even if they had attacked him. He wasn't totally heartless, and he had a bit of a soft spot for things that were young and small. Maybe that was a weakness, but it was who he was, underneath the battle hardened beast he carried himself as. 

The red one, Cuphead, slowly approached him, his brother trailing after him. If Elder Kettle trusted the bird, than surely they could as well. Beside, Cuphead really wanted his straw back. He felt incomplete without it, and had proudly maintained the item for years, ever since Elder Kettle gave it to him for his fifth birthday, when he was graduated from the sippy cup top to a real accessory. No matter that it was a simple straw, it was _his_ , and a gift from Elder Kettle.

Glory stayed still as they approached, watching the cottage curiously. It was a simple construction, a mostly round house with a straw like top, a chimney and some sort of heat release poking from the top. It looked just spacious enough for the three to live in together, but if anymore were to join it would most likely be cramped. Given that fact, he discarded any ideas of trying to move Pippen here. Even if the Elder was comfortable with his existence, and he could live comfortably in the forest, there was no way he would get her to leave Henry's house. At least, not until she was ready. Or forced to. And there was no way she would willingly intrude on even more stranger's, especially one with such a small home. 

The elder returned a couple minutes later, carrying a book and a strange charm on a long chain. He grinned a bit as he saw the pair had retrieved their items, and were looking over Glory with more care now. "Now boys, what do we say when someone returns something you've lost?"

"Thank you, bird." Cuphead muttered.

"Thank you, mister." Mugman offered at the same time.

"Now, if you would trust an old man for a moment, I would like to apply this here charm to you. Now, this chain should be big enough to go around your neck, and then some, but it will break under stress, so do take care." The Kettle explained as he approached, setting down the book and holding up the necklace and charm. There was an odd circular charm, a bird's head visible on the metal, Tunis script coming from it's beak amongst music notes. 

Glory stared at him for several minutes, considering the situation with care. The chain appeared sturdy, but not invincible, and the magic he could sense around it was benevolent in nature. He could sense no hostile magic behind it, though his magical understanding was limited. He was not a stryx gifted with any great magical skills or understanding, but Pippen had taught him how to detect when foul magic was afoot. 

He slowly bowed his head, letting the Elder work the necklace over his head and neck. The boys watched on with anxiety, seeing their beloved elder put himself so close to the wickedly sharp beak of a being that still, admittedly, unnerved them quite a bit. The event paced without incident however, the kettle helping him sort out the chain so it sat beneath his feathers, the metal cool against his skin. 

"What meaning does the charm carry, Elder?" Glory questioned, though he was fairly certain none of them were beast whisperers. What came out of his beak however was not the cries of a Harpia alone, but words, edged by his squawks and cries. He paused as he listened to processed the deep voice that the charm had granted him, looking to the charm in surprise, and then the kettle. "I see..."

"Oh hey, you can talk now!" Mugman gasped, his voice a bit deeper, and more nasally than Cuphead's.

"I didn't know you had stuff like that, Elder Kettle." Cuphead muttered thoughtful, though he still eyed the bird with suspicion. They still didn't know where he was from, or why he had come to their island. "But more importantly, the heck are you doing here?" 

"Cuphead, language." Elder Kettle chided, the boy looking down in guilt and muttering a quick apology. 

"The boy is right to be suspicious." Glory stated, surprising Cuphead. "A good sense of caution is often what divides the living from the dead. If a strange beast were to turn up upon my island, I would be quick to question their reasons as well."

"Perhaps that is true, but he could have phrased it better." The elder declared. "After all, you are our honorable guest, a being I have only heard of in the stories told to me by our missing king. I must admit, I am curious as to how you came to be here as well, fair Dracostryx, for out our homelands are not your natural habitat, or so my King had told me."

"Wait, you used to know the king?!" Cuphead questioned in shock.

"Uh, yeah?" Mugman answered for the elder, staring at his brother in confusion. "Don't you remember all the times he would leave us with the daycare so he could go to the Council of Object Toon's meetings?"

"Uh.. Not really." Cuphead shrugged, grinning in embarrassment. He just remembered that every Thursday night they would go to the daycare, and there were plenty of fun toys there. 

"It was quite a while ago." Elder Kettle offered. "After all, the council shut down not to long after King vanished. What good is a council with no king to advise, after all?"

"And you say this King of yours knew of my species." Glory cut in.

"That he did. In fact, he had one as a friend. A dark feathered owl type, sweetest thing I ever met." The Kettle answered. "And, before he vanished, he entrusted his book of Dracostryx to me for safe keeping. The charm is a little something of my own I found in my youth."

"A Tyto.." Glory muttered thoughtfully. 

"So this is great and all, but it doesn't tell me what I want to know. Why are you here?" Cuphead demanded again. "Who even are you?"

"My name is Glroy Asunder." Glory answered, using the simpler version of his name. "I am known as Glory for simplicities sake. I am afraid I am not free to tell you all the details as to how I came here, as such a decision must be made by my rider, but I can tell you some simple details, perhaps."

"Than tell us what you can 'Glory'." Cuphead demanded once more.

"If you can. I understand if you must speak with your traveling partner first." Elder Kettle cut in. "I would not wish to come between the bond of trust that is between a Stryx and their rider."

".. Thank you or your consideration, Elder Kettle." Glory murmured after a moment, looking on them thoughtfully, weighing his options before speaking. "I am here on a matter of peace, or rather I was. We were sent here to deliver a letter to your king, only to discover he is no longer present, and that the council of Angels has sealed our way back home."

"The Council of Angels has been awfully busy as of late.." The kettle muttered. "But I fear, as you already know, you are ten years too late. Even I can not fathom where the king has gone. He simply vanished one day, with no warning to any of the councils. At least, no warning the other Councils have seen fit to share."

"That is what we understand of the situation." Glory offered. "As of this moment, my companion seeks information so we may better survive within Tunis for however long we re to be here." There was something in his expression that told them matters were not so simple, but neither of the boys dared to pry, and the kettle was simply to polite. "I have been.. exploring. The area which I currently reside in is small, and the population of toons is too dense for me to range about safely. But then I discovered the islands, and did my best to remain undiscovered."

"Well we noticed your signs!" Cuphead declared boldly.

"And fled when you confronted me." Glory countered, the elder brother deflating a bit. "Not unwisely, mind you. It was clear you had leapt into matters beyond your ability to deal with and responded properly. It is that wisdom that will keep you alive to fight another day."

"Thanks. I guess?" Cuphead muttered. 

"You would do well to learn from your brother, and look before you leap." Glory continued, Mugman grinning a bit at the compliment as Cuphead slouched with disapproval. "There is a time for boldness, and a time for care. Find the balance, and you will know only victory."

"Balance, huh?" Mugman murmured thoughtfully. It was true that his brother often leapt before he looked, while he was the more careful of the pair.. but he was also prone to stalling when he would be better served in acting. 

"With that being said, I do not intend you, or the other denizens of this island, any harm. Not unless I am attacked first. I may come by, if permitted, to ask further questions once I have spoken to my rider as to what we have discussed. I believe she will be curious of your connections to the king, but I can not full predict what she will do" Glory finished, tiring of the conversation. 

"I understand. I will be here, if you seek further conversation." The Elder replied, seeing they had started to wear on the Stryx's patience. He was clearly not the talkative type, especially if his scars were anything to go by. Glory spread his wings, only for the now emboldened cups to run up to him.

"Hey wait!" Mugman called.

"Yeah, wait!" Cuphead called as well.

"What?" Glory demanded, looking down at them in confusion. He had made it clear he had no intention of doing them harm, unless he was harmed first, so there was no further need to discuss matters. He couldn't tell them any more unless Pippen felt it was safe to do so. 

"Take us for a flight!" Cuphead demanded. "Or we'll tell everyone we saw you! You said you were trying to stay undercover, didn't you? Well if you want to keep it, you got to pay us off!"

"I though we were just going to ask politely.." Mugman muttered nervously, only to be shushed by his older brother.

"One could argue that I am paying you with your lives." Glory rumbled, testing the boy's mettle. He shrank away a bit, but pushed himself to stand once more and continued to speak. Interesting. It seemed he had some spirit in him yet.

"You aren't going to kill us! That will look even worse on you if you do!" Cuphead declared, though his brother looked less certain. Mugman was pulling a brave face however, doing his best to back up his brother.

"Clever of you to notice." Glory muttered. He would not slaughter a group of innocents, not even on a bad day. It went against his moral code to mindlessly slaughter people like them. He sighed, knowing he had been outwitted. These matters were far easier when they resolved with beak and claw, instead of slippery words. 

"Very well." Glory sighed, the Kettle's brow raising in surprise. He had expected the bird to bluster more, or just outright leave. The boys, on the other hand, were both cheering their success. "You must tighten the saddle strap to your legs. I will not be held responsible if you do not do this properly. And for the love of Galyx, don't scream when we take off."

He knew there was no point in that last request. Almost every new rider screamed at least once during their maiden flight. 

  
===========  
  
**Glimpse of the past**  
  


_La Lune flew confidently through the night air, dodging trees and branches with ease, though she flew Mickey into more than a couple of the smaller ones. It felt on purpose, as the bird would croak with what seemed to be laughter each time. Mickey could do nothing, to thoroughly tied up to fight back, only able to hold onto the bindings as the crow-dragon flew through the pine trees._

_After what felt like a nightmarish eternity, the pair left the thicket, flying out into a clearing. Mickey gasped softly as the scent of fire and ash met his sensitive nose, a cloud sliding away from the moon, revealing what the shadows had hidden._

_The clearing was marked with blood and ash, the mostly liquid dried but clearly recent. There were feathers scattered over the clearing, footprints marking the dirt in all directions, clear signs of a battle having occurred. There were no bodies, but their were signs of heavy objects being dragged towards what was an unnervingly large grave site, the overturned dirt fresh. There were tents and wagons, the overwhelming majority of them pillaged and burned out. Not a single other living being was present in the clearing, though there were signs there had once been many people, spilled dinners and stew pots still fallen where they had been knocked down._

_Mickey yelped as La Lune jerked him towards one of the still intact wagons. It was a Vargo, a traveling wagon similar to what Mickey had seen in Tunis. This one, he soon found out, was completely stripped on the inside, the windows replaced by haphazard metal bars. The bird aimed for the open door, and threw him in, wings beating furiously to prevent her from colliding with the vehicle. The dragon bird dropped to the ground, slamming the door shut behind Mickey and standing guard, waiting for her master's return._

_While he was in the wagon, Mickey managed to squirm out of his bindings, catching the rope on the edge of a counter. He began to dig around for something he could defend himself with, but quickly found that the wagon had been meticulously picked clean. He was back to the square one, except now he was trapped in a Vargo by a dragon bird, which was owned by a Human._

_He hadn't even realized he had stumbled upon the land of humans when he had crossed through the cave, hadn't even realized there was a way to cross to the land of humans. He had heard all the stories, like any toon had, of the dangers humans presented. He had heard of their aggressiveness, their conniving, thieving nature, and the hatred that lurked in their hearts at the mere existence of Toons. No one could explain_ why _they hated Toons so much, but it was simply the consensus that they did._

_The Prince of Tunis nervously paced the interior of the Vargo, trying to work out a method of escape. He could try magic, but there was a good chance it would bite him in the rear if done incorrectly. Fire could easily lead to his death, and if he tried to blow apart the wood with a Force Spell there was a chance the shards will fly back on him, since he had not mastered the spell. That also didn't take into account the dragon bird outside, and it's clever, fast talons and sharp beak._

_Time passed, though he didn't realize it initially, not until he heard shouting outside the Vargo. The bird croaked in alarm, the rapid beat of it's wings signaling it had flown away, Mickey running to the door. It was locked, the blasted bird proving intelligent enough to know how to do as such. He started to work the lock, pulling a bobby pin from his pocket and setting to work, ears pricked for the sound of the bird's return._

_His ears were not greeted by that sound, but the sound of battle, and of voices that sounded suspiciously like Tunis voices. For a wild moment, he through it was a rescue party, but then remembered the chaos he had been flown over. It was more likely that whoever was outside had come to finish what they had started._

_Outside, La Lune and Agatha were fighting furiously against a horde of Toon bandits, the beings coming in all manners of types. Objects, animals, humanoid, they were all present, and all glaring at her with cruel eyes, intent on cutting away the last limb of the Nokus clan tree. They had already had such a ringing success the day before, and they outnumbered the woman and her bird._

_Despite the odds, the sword wielding human was putting up quite a fight, managing to take out several of the bandits before she was overwhelmed. The tan woman screamed with fury as she was attacked from behind, thick toon hands clawing at her flesh and through her brown hair, the group forcing her down. Above, La Lune screeched in fury, divebombing the bandits with renewed fury, until she too was weighed down by a number of toons who had managed to get ahold of her._

_"Good fight, human." A toon, possibly the leader, declared as he approached, the crowd parting for him. He was a rat toon, with a pointed muzzle and sharp fangs, eyes glittering with malicious delight as he approached. "But not good enough. These lands riches will be ours, and all we need is to finish a little_ pest _control-"_

_"STOP!" A new voice shouted, the bandits looking up in confusion, as well as the human and bird. The mouse now stood atop the Vargo, having worked his way out and watched the fight to this point, an idea forming in his head. He stood tall and defiant, pouring every bit of royal fury and presence he could muster into his being. "By order of the Crown of Tunis, you will stop!"_

_"Says who?" Demanded one of the bandits, the toons around him laughing at the mouse._

_"Says Prince Mickey, and the Royal Army of Tunis!" The mouse declared, figures appearing among the edges of the trees, toons of all kinds astride mighty steeds specifically bred for battle. Their battle hardened eyes glittered as they looked down upon the bandits, who were rapidly loosing their nerve. "Your crimes against this land and it's people will not go unpunished!"_

_"We need to run!" A bandit shouted as the army began a advance, slow and meticulous. Some didn't even wait for the words, already fleeing into the shadows towards the lake cave, and away from the prospect of being taken prisoner. Every second, more and more Bandits bled away, their nerve melting under the approaching force's presence, what of it they could see in the dim light of the moon._

_"Stand your ground, fools!" The rat bellowed, though none of his men listened to him. Their fear of the army, and of hard time, was greater than their ability to stop and question how such a force had come to be in this place so quickly. The rat narrowed his eyes at the silvery illusions, opening his maw to bellow at the other toons once more, only to realize they were all gone, leaving him facing the prince, and a very furious human._

_"This isn't the end- I'll get you for this!" The rat rasped, twisting and speeding off into the woods before the human could close the distance between them. As the rat fled, the human slowly turned to Mickey and his illusion army, her eyes uncertain but defiant. The bird stood by her as well, staring at the silver forms as they began to fade away, the mouse panting with exhaustion. He had pulled illusions before, but that had been quite a large one to maintain, and for as long as he had as well._

_They stared at one another, the bird and their human, and the mouse who would be king. Slowly the human began to treat the bird's wounds, focusing on their injuries over her own, though her eyes never fully left the mouse. The bird watched him as well as he recovered, both of them staring at him with uncertainty and defiance._

_"Why?" The human finally questioned once Mickey had recovered his breath. "Why have you helped me? Those were your people, your kin."_

_"They were my people, but they are not my kin." Mickey answered in turn. "I have no kin who would carry out such a terrible act upon innocent people. I helped you, because it was the right thing to do. You were outnumbered, and about to loose your life to those thugs."_

_The woman scoffed, looking up to him. "What do you Toons know of 'the right thing to do'. Your people fell upon my own in the middle of the day, when we all slept, and slaughtered my clan without mercy. Stryx, chicks, livestock, adults, children. It did not matter to them. All have died, save for myself, and my companion."_

_"I know that what they did was not legal by any standards of Tunis, and by our moral standards as well. I know that they are criminals, and have all been given a royal magical mark that will have them apprehended by the authorities when they return to Tunis. I know they will be punished for what they have done. I swear to you, they will be punished for this horrible crime." Mickey declared, his voice soft but firm._

_The stranger stared at him for several moments, before finally laughing. It was weak and tense, the figure shaking her head. "By Nokt's silver face, what are the chances that I would find a toon of such authority tramping upon my lands, mere hours before my life was set to finish? For what reason has Galyx created this strange twist of fate?"_

_Mickey cocked his head curiously at the names she mentioned, curiosity rising. He had seen those names inscribed in ruins near the edge of the Tunis, though few knew how to read the ancient script present within the ruins.. and even fewer knew of those names, or dared to speak of them. It would upset the Councils to mention these ancient names._

_"I do not know. I only came to this place because I saw the trail the bandits had left behind, and I sought to know why they were here, and where here is." Mickey answered, trying to sound diplomatic. The human looked to him again, staring him in the eyes with her strange, brown eyes, before looking away. There was no lie in the mouse's eyes. He had too honest a face to hide such matters easily._

_"Than know you are in Wyvera, Toon, and that your kind are not welcome here because of crimes such as these done upon our people. You would be wise to return to whatever path it was that brought you here, and never return." The human stated calmly._

_"What if I don't want to leave?" Mickey questioned. "You mentioned names I have only seen in our legends, and our ruins, as if they are current and common knowledge. I can not shake the feeling there was a reason I was drawn to this place."_

_The human looked up to him, raising a brow, pausing as a golden moth descended from the sky, and landed on the mouse's ear. He looked up in confusion, as the human stared, the gold moth not moving from his ears. On one wing, it had a white crescent mark, like a quarter moon, and the other held a suspicious dark mark that was one large circle with two large circles attached to it. It didn't move away, even as the mouse waved his hand at it, remaining present until she had gotten a good look at it. Than it flew away, the human knowing it as no natural moth that had landed on the mouse._

_'Why?' She questioned silently, though she knew she would receive no answer. Moth's were the messengers of Galyx, the one who sees and knows all, and a moth so unnatural was undoubtly his work. She did not understand why the space god would choose her of all people for this task, but the message was clear. Like the wings of the moth folding together, and working in tandem to give the insect flight, the pair were meant to be together, for a time._

_"Than I would say you are a fool." The human answered. "At least, a fool to travel with no guide."_

_"Oh?" Mickey echoed, blinking in surprise as he looked up to her. "A guide?"_

_"Yes, A guide. You will not be trusted given what you are, but with a guide, you will appear more legitimate and safe to deal with." She answered, standing. "I owe you my life, and in this way I will repay you. There is nothing left for me here either way."_

_They both looked over the burnt out clearing, and the destroyed wagons and tents. She had said it was her clan that had been here, before the bandits had attacked. Mickey's eyes turned sorrowful and sympathetic, the mouse looking up to her._

_"Are you certain you wish to do this?" He asked. "It was my kind who took so much from you."_

_"I am certain." She answered. By the will of Galyx, she would see this strange mouse around, until he saw fit to return to his home. One did not simply ignore such an omen from the most powerful god of Wyvera. No matter how much you may or may not dislike the message and the being involved with it._

_"Well than. I think we should at least introduce ourselves." Mickey offered, feeling awkward but optimistic. "My name is Mickey Mouse."_

_"Agatha." The human answered. "My name is Agatha Moonthorn, last of the Moonthorn clan."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's are two pictures now 3u3  
> I'm hoping to do more as time allows/ skill allows  
> The other is in chapter 2 ow o


	8. Books and Surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

Henry wasn't entirely pleased when Pippen and Bendy turned up to their home so late into the night, though he was surprised and pleased by the change in attitude between the pair. Neither would explain what had happened, not entirely... But Bendy also wasn't holding Pippen at a metaphorical arms length anymore. Now he was treating her like a friend, like he would Alice and Boris, in spite of the suspicions that he had expressed to his father previously. Whatever it was they had gone through, she had proven herself to be more than what he had suspected.

Now he was being more open with her, answering questions (mostly) honestly, and not hiding everything he had on hand or picked up. Not that she pried much into his business, even now, but he made more moves to include her, as he would with Henry. It was a bit relieving for the older male, since he was beginning to worry that things would come to a head and lead to either a confrontation, or Bendy using her as bait in something dangerous. Fortunately things appeared to have simmered down, and now they were acting more like normal people. And not the 'fake nice' Bendy had played after they had first met Alice.

Things were a bit more peaceful, and a bit more active, from that night on. Pippen still had her odd moments, and appeared to be suffering from nightmares more frequently despite the peace with Bendy. Henry had found her out in the kitchen more than once in the dead of night, nervously gripping a glass of water and staring into the open air. She never would say what she had dreamed of, but he sensed it was something serious, and something that wouldn't come out of her easily. It seemed deeply buried, something that caused fear to burn in her eyes whenever he gently pried into the matter. 

With one issues solved, another soon took it's place as Henry started notice Pippen was disappearing at odd times. There was no set schedule to this, or any other signal to when she would do this, other than when she was not being watched for a period of time. She would be gone for at least an hour, sometimes more, and Henry eventually worked out she was, at the least, always coming back from the woods. He hadn't worked out _where_ she was going, or _why_ , but it was starting to worry him. They had never figured out why she ran into the woods on her first night, and why she went towards the mountain. Some days she would have Redfall with her, but other days she would not. There was no real set pattern to either of their behavior.

Finally, after a week of her strange behavior, he decided to search for her, stomach twisting with concern. He remembered Bendy's suspicions that she was bound to a stronger Demon, hence her erratic behavior.. though it wouldn't explain her impossible task. But if she was bonded to another Demon it was likely not of her own free will, as that was how most cases went from what Bendy had heard, and she would have to report in to them. And the most likely place to do that would be in the privacy of the woods.

"Hey, Dad!" Bendy's chipper voice came from behind the mannish toon as he began down the path into the woods, the devil running up to him. Boris was too busy to hang out today, and he hadn't felt like going to Alice's place, which was a 'Shelter' run by the Angelic Council. It was mostly meant for angels who were away from Castle City or Cloud City on council work, and the angels there, outside of Alice, always gave him gruff for being a Devil. As if he could help it. Not that he wished he were anything else. "Where you going?"

"Hu- Oh, Bendy." Henry turned to him, smiling a bit, trying to hide his trepidation. "I was just going for a walk."

"Have you seen Pippen?" He asked in turn, swinging his tail in boredom. "I haven't seen her since breakfast."

"Oh, no. I was hoping to come across her in the woods myself.." Henry admitted, trying to not reignite Bendy's suspicions. 

"Maybe she's looking for that bird of hers. It didn't come back this morning." Bendy offered, knowing Pippen had been concerned that morning when she realized the bird still hadn't returned. It had been nearly two days at this point. 

"Maybe." Henry offered, beginning to walk down the path, keeping an eye out for the imp. He didn't want to voice his real suspicions when he had no proof. Not when the pair had managed to come to a truce so recently. 

The walk was a peaceful one, the pair idly making their way along the trails, moving deeper and deeper into the forests. Henry quietly veered towards the mountain, claiming he wanted to try a different route than he usually would today. Bendy was busy looking for things to mess around with as they walked, mostly collecting flat rocks as they walked, putting them away for later. There was a lake on Boris' farm which was a good spot to skip rocks. 

As they neared the mountain, Henry's stomach began to twist with concern, having not seen or heard any sign of the imp. That is, until they heard the sound of something crashing through the branches somewhere to their left, and cursing. Both males didn't hesitate to turn off the path and investigate. They didn't see her at first, until a small shadow passed over them, wings pumping furiously.

It was Pippen, and she was flying, doing moderately well at best. It was only a little better than her flight with Bendy had been the week prior, and honestly looked a little funny as she struggled to work out how to naturally do it. She was clearly overthinking the matter, wing beats uneven. A flash of red collided with her before she got far, the abrupt appearance of Redfall making her crash into the ground, more curses spilling out of her.

"What the hell, Redf-" Pippen started to hiss, until a nervous twittering from above made her look behind her. She flushed _hard_ as she spotted the pair, mortified they had seen the embarrassing flight, and terrified of what else they may see. With their current position, Glory, who had been giving her instructions, was in a blind spot hidden behind a vegetation coated tree, but if they came any closer he would be easy to spot against the greenery. 

"O-Oh" Pippen muttered, quickly standing and hesitantly walking closer, though she pushed herself to move fast. She couldn't afford them to see Glory, not now. She hadn't even prepared them in the slightest for such a confrontation, didn't know how to _begin_ preparing them! It didn't help Glory wasn't in a good mood either, annoyed by attempting to teach her how to fly. He wasn't much of a teacher, and he was starting to get annoyed with Pippen overthinking everything. Their prior argument didn't help matters. "H-Hey."

"Hello Pippen." Henry greeted. "Is this why you've been coming out her so often?"

She stiffened a bit at the direct question, looking away from him. "..Yeah. I figured the trees would make it easier, with branches to catch and launch off of and stuff.." 

"Makes sense to me, but why come out all the way here? We could just throw you off the roof at home!" Bendy questioned, grinning a bit at his suggestion. Pippen smirked a bit, though she tried to look disapproving. "It would be hilarious to watch you flounder around like that after jumping off the roof!"

"That's why." Pippen muttered, putting her palm to her face. She had technically only been training a bit, more focused on arguing with Glory over certain matters. She was meant to be checking up on him, but he had slowly become more and more argumentative as time passed. She put it to him being trapped in a smaller range than usual, and turned a blind eye to the fact he had had flown out further without asking for permission. He was flying high, and had avoided being seen up close, at least on the mainland.. and the three toons he had made contact with seemed to be knowledgeable of matters relating to the king and Dracostryx. It could be a good lead. 

"Oh, come on! I was just joking." Bendy harrumphed, crossing his own arms. Pippen laughed weakly, wishing she could be more easy going about these matters. It was so stressful maintaining this secret.. And a source of severe guilt as well. They had taken her in out of the kindness of their hearts, and she still hid so much from them. She wanted to change that but.. she didn't know how.

"I know." Pippen mumbled, still flushing. "It's just.. embarrassing. I have these wings, but I can't fly.." She looked away, still flushing lightly. "I don't want more people to realize I can't.. They won't be as nice about it as you two have been."

Henry had never questioned her lack of flight ability, though it was mostly because he was distracted by all of the other strange habits and tidbits he had picked up about her. He had been too distracted by the larger pieces of the puzzle to notice such a small matter. Bendy had only ever made the one remark about her lack of flight capability, but had politely avoided the matter since. He had been kinder to her since that day, though he hadn't entirely lost his mischievous behavior. That was simply who Bendy was. 

"Oh." Bendy murmured, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I don't think many people will say anything about it.." His tail twitched with guilt, a nervous grin crossing his face for a moment. She walked past the pair, the two turning to face the direction they had come. She turned to face them, tail flicking a bit.

"I would hope not, but.. I want to figure it out." She murmured, tail twitching every which way. It wasn't just that, it felt wrong for someone who raised Stryx of all types, be they bats, runners, or avians, who had wings but _couldn't_ fly. The overwhelming majority of the bird she had raised were able to fly, following their instincts confidently. Instincts Glory insi-

She stiffened slightly as a massive head leaned out of the foliage behind the pair, jet black and silver feathers sharp against the greenery. His pale yellow eyes were staring down Bendy in particular, anger and jealousy burning in his gaze. She had been keeping him up to date on things going on in the Stein household.. maybe a bit too much, given the jealous glint in his eye. Even if they had been arguing, the pair had been spending time together. Time they had in such short supply lately. 

The imp quickly wiped the alarm from her eyes, glancing back the way they had come, than towards the sky. "Oh, I hadn't even realized how late it was. I guess that's why you came looking for me.."

"It was." Henry offered, stowing his concerns for now. It made sense to him that Pippen had been trying to work on this on her own. She had shown herself to be a sensitive and private person, and such a glaring matter must have stood out to her far more harshly than it did for them. They started after her as she slowly paced away from the clearing, guiding them away from the jealous stryx before either of them could notice him. Behind them, Redfall was smacking into Glory's head, driving him back into hiding. Just in time too, as Bendy glanced behind them moments after the birds were gone. 

"Did you guys here somethin'?" Bendy questioned.

"Hmm, no?" Pippen answered, turning to walk home, swallowing her anxiety as they walked on. She would need to work on preparing them to meet Glory.. somehow. 

She couldn't hide him forever. Glory's encounter with the 'cups' on the island he spoke of told her as much. Henry.. He might be able to handle it. He was a very calm, understanding person. But Bendy.. She had only recently gotten onto good terms with him. She would have to get a better feel for him before she made any attempts to bring up Glory.. or her other secrets.

  
\-----------

  
It was another couple days before Pippen felt confident enough to start slowly running things by the pair, little tidbits here and there. It started with simple things, Pippen questioning them more about the area around them, about the city, and about the birds and feral beast common to the area, and about the local vegetation. Anything she thought could be useful. Henry took her curiosity as a good sign, as a sign of her coming out of her morose and sullen withdrawn mood she had been in since recovering. She had been recovering bit by bit, but this sudden open curiosity was a sign she was doing better, or so he felt. 

This naturally lead to more robust lessons about the Tunis language, so Pippen could better understand everything. Once she had a fairly strong grasp of the script, which still felt so similar to Wyverain script to her though she couldn't place how, they introduced her to the library. Pippen was familiar with the concept of a library, though she had never seen one so large that was meant entirely for the _public_ , and not part of someone's private collection. 

The library was a massive construct of concrete and marble, with fancy columns and architecture unlike anything Pippen had seen, even in her travels across Wyvera. There were curling structures in the corners, and angelic and devilish figures in paintings and statues, either playing or fighting across the upper ledges of the room, though Pippen could not say for certain which action they undertook. Both sides looked equal parts mischievous and upset, varying from face to face. Maybe it was meant to be ambiguous.

There were dozens of shelves, each filled to the brim with books of all varieties. Encyclopedias, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, geography, science, magic, and so much more. She could scarcely believe the sheer wealth of knowledge freely available, as well as the sheer creativity present. Art only like that which she had seen in private collections and rich estates were present on all of the walls, as well as sculptures of all types and skill levels. It was clear that whoever ran the library was happy to display art donated to them by the locals. 

"Wow." Pippen murmured, looking all around them with wide eyes. She was glad she had let Henry convince her to come into the city, despite the fear that sill lurked within her. She would never admit it out loud, but the memory of her first visit had been enough to prevent her from returning. But this time she had Bendy actually helping her, as well as Henry, and they had made it safely. "I've never seen anything like this."

"You must be from a pretty rural area." Henry mused. The only places he could think of that did not have a library were pretty far out on the edges of Tunis, where farmers, woodsmen and the like lived. 

"Yeah. The mountain isn't as developed as Silvi City." Pippen muttered, mouth snapping shut as she realized what she had said. She hadn't told them she was from a mountain, or given any prior hints as to where she lived. It would make it far to easy for them to try and pin a location, only to realize what she spoke of did not add up. Not for Tunis at least. And if there was any information about areas beyond Tunis...

"It must be nice, living in a place with so much clean air and calm atmosphere." Henry answered in turn, keeping quiet note of what she had said. There was still the question of why she hid her home so stubbornly, but piece by piece, things were starting to come out. Pippen made a non-committal sound as the mannish toon lead her to a counter where a rabbit waited. She was bipedal, with an anthropomorphic form, and large toon eyes. She was not too dissimilar from an anthro back in Pippen's world, though she lacked the details and realism to the shape of her form most Wyverian anthros had. 

"Well hello Mr Stein." The rabbit greeted, perky ears flicking towards him. Her voice was soft, like her cream hide, hidden beneath a bright sundress. "It's been a while since we've seen you here. And who is your new friend?"

"Hello Ms. Buttercup. It has been a while" Henry greeted. "This is Pippen. She's new to the area, and has a lot of questions, so I figured we should get her set up with a library card so she can rent out a book or two if she wants."

"A card?" Pippen echoed, looking up to him nervously. "I.. I don't have any money.." She couldn't pay for any form of membership fees. They had never gone back to collect the scrap from the junk yard after escaping, and Pippen hadn't worked out anyway to make money in the time between. She wanted to start paying back Henry somehow for all of his help..

"Oh dearie, the library is free!" Ms. Buttercup chuckled. "The card system is just so we can keep track of who took out which book. But if you keep it out for longer than your allotted time, than you may be fined. This is to discourage theft, of course."

"Of course." Pippen murmured, though she stared at her in amazement. They would just give people books, and trust they would return them? What if they stole a rare or important book? Than again, maybe there were certain books that couldn't be checked out. They couldn't just lend anything out, right?

"Now, I just need you to write your name on the back of this card.." Ms. Buttercup hummed as she pulled out a library card. The front read 'Silvi City Library' with the image of the city skyline behind it, while the back had more details, like a card number, and a section for the owner to write their name. She wrote down the unique information on the back of the card before passing it to Pippen. 

It took a couple moments, given Pippen's hesitance with the Tunis script, but she wrote down her first name, as well as a _C_. Henry eyed the extra letter curiously, brow raising a bit. She had seen him sigh things as 'Henry S.' before, and had worked out that putting a letter and period signified the first letter of someone's last name.. but Pippen hadn't told them she had a last name. In fact, she had only told them her first name, and had only gone by that. If not for how official and important the back of the card looked, she might not have thought to write her last initial. Just another odd tidbit to add to the growing list of oddities related to the imp. 

Ms. Buttercup wrote down what Pippen put on her card once the imp was down, stamping it on the back to show it was an official card in their database. With that, she slid the card to Pippen, smiling gently. "There we go. Now, you can go ahead and look at whatever books you want. The only places off limits are the rooms labeled 'private'. You can only go in there if a library attendant is with you and you have permission. But everything else is entirely free to look through, and check out if you want to take it home with you to finish."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Pippen murmured, looking up to her curiously as she took the card once more, stowing it in her 'pocket'. She had picked up from Bendy how to put things in the interdimensional 'pocket' all toons had access to, though how well you could use it, and how much could be stored in it, depended on skill and practice. Just putting the card in her pocket was a tricky matter, given her unfamiliarity with the skill. 

Pippen paced into the library as Henry began to speak with Ms. Buttercup, the pair discussing matters unimportant to her. It was mostly local gossip, and word on how certain people were doing who one or the other had not seen in a while. Bendy had already gone in ahead of them, and was digging through shelves of thin booklets with pictures inside. He grinned a bit as she approached, holding up one, the front covered in dramatic artwork.

"Hey Pippen, you ever read a comic book?" He questioned. He didn't bother questioning if she had a favorite, instead skipping to the basics.

"No. What's a comic book?" She asked softly, mimicking his softened voice. He began to explain as she walked over, soon filling her with all the details of his various favorites, as well as some other books he liked. He mostly spoke on fiction and adventure books, ones that admittedly sparked her interest, but didn't do much in the way of information gathering. It didn't stop her from picking up a couple he suggested, the devil grinning a bit as she did.

"Anyway, this is better than that boring stuff you kept asking Henry about." Bendy stated as he lead her towards one of the areas set up for people to sit and read. The one he was aiming for had a set of bean bag chairs, one of the best kind of chairs in Bendy's opinion. Pippen smiled a bit, shaking her head. They had found a 'Big book of Tunis Beasts' during their talk, which seemed to be what Pippen had been hoping to find. After all, if she could find that Tunis had similar symbiotic relationships with beasts as large as Dracostryx, than introducing Glory shouldn't be that hard. Not with the right framework to start the conversation.

"Maybe. But what I'm looking into is important in it's own right." She murmured. 

"Important-smortant- Hey! What's the deal with all this!" Bendy began in a jovial tone, before switching to one of annoyance, glaring at the mess ahead of them. The reading area was filled with stacks of books, the nearby shelves emptied of their contents. A tall figure obscured by some of the books and a shelve leaned back into their view, the large living inkwell putting a finger to his mouth to shush them.

"Quiet!" He hissed towards the noise, shaking his head in disapproval towards the source, though he could not see it. 

Bendy yelped in surprise at the massive shadow the figures appearance cast, colliding with a stack of books nearest to him as he did. Pippen's eyes widened as the stack crumbled, along with several others that the falling books of the first collided with. The figure glared, stepping out from behind the shelves, showing his full imposing figure. 

He was a three times their height, with a primarily black colored body that appeared to be an inkwell. He had thick arms at midpoint of the top side edges, and legs springing from the bottom of the ink well. The limbs were thick, strong, with white gloves and grey cufflinks on the hand and wrists, while black and white sneakers covered his feet. His face was on the neck of his bottle, sharp side ways ovals with pie cut oval pupils. His mouth was only distinct from the rest of his dark body thanks to the white fangs that lined the entire, surprisingly even and neat. From the top of the ink well, a large feather quill sat, waving slightly as he walked closer.

"Get Out." The figure hissed, glaring down at Bendy, his advance slowly separating the pair.

"O-Oh hey M-Mr. Dewey! Look, this is all j-just a misunderstanding-" Bendy quickly tried to explain, holding his hands up in a placating manner, though he was already taking steps away from the infuriated object type toon.

"Do not 'Hey' me, Mr. Stein." Dewey hissed, glaring down at Bendy. " I warned you before, one more act of mischief-" He paused, taking a breath to calm himself and lower his voice once more. "This is the final straw. I will tolerate you're mischief in this library no further!" 

"I-It was my fault!" Pippen cut in, the Inkwell pausing in the middle of his tirade to look to her. He hadn't seen how the stack had fallen, only that Bendy was nearby when it happened. "I shoved him, and he bumped into the books. It's my fault they fell."

"...Rough housing is against library rules." He stated brusquely, abruptly picking the girl up by the shoulders, fingers wrapping under her arm pit as the others hovered over her. She squeaked as she was picked up, dropping her books. Most of them vanished into the pile of fallen books, but the large book on Tunis Beasts was not so easily obscured. Bendy nervously picked it up, and followed the pair, though he already knew where Dewey was taking her. He was taking her where all first time offenders went to.

Pippen didn't struggle as the figure carried her towards the front of the library, opening a door labeled 'time out' room and setting her down. She flushed hard as she realized Henry and Ms. Buttercup saw her being deposited in the room, shame burning under her skin. She hadn't even done anything, but it would reflect poorly on Henry, and make him think twice about helping her, that she was sure of. There was a chair, a clock, and a table, on which a list of library rules were written in bold letters. There was also a notepad and pencil, though if they were there on accident or on purpose, Pippen wasn't sure. 

"You. Stay here. Read the rules, and remember them. Without the rules, we are little more than barbarians. Do not leave before your time is up. You will only make your punishment worse. " The inkwell being stated, shaking his head at her, the glass neck of his inkwell body bending in such a way to allow this. He shut the door, and walked away, though he stayed near the area, ears pricked for the creak the door would make when opened wide enough to let a body through. 

The imp sighed, sitting down at the table and looking over the rules. They were general things, like no food or drinks, no damaging the books, be polite to others, be mindful of others, be quiet in the library, etc. General rules from what she had been told by Henry prior to coming here. Nothing really stood out to her. The sound of the door opening a crack made her head snap towards it, the girl raising her brows. A familiar white glove and thin dark arm appeared through the crack, sliding the 'Big book of Tunis Beasts' into the room, before carefully shutting the door. 

Pippen smiled a bit at the small gesture, silently sliding out of her chair and walking to the door, picking up the book and returning to her seat. She pulled the notepad and pencil to herself, intending to at least get some work done before Dewey returned, and possibly interrogated her about the rules. She wasn't entirely sure what he intended to do, if the 'time out' was enough for him, or if the strict ink pot would put her through the works due to her connection with Bendy. 

She started to quietly go through the book, taking note of all the familiar beings, and those that may be ones she knew of but misrepresented, on the notepad. She started with Tunis script, but seeing as no one was watching her and that her writing speed was one sixth of what she could normally do, she switched to Wyverian script very quickly. It was far easier, and far faster, and if anyone saw it she could just say she was doodling.. and hope no one noticed the pattern or meaningfulness behind what she was writing.

Bunyips, dragons, Fenrirs, Golems, Gremlins, Krakens, Leviathans.. All familiar names, most of which fell into the untamable monster range. That is, save for Golems and Gremlins, who were considered 'lesser' humanoids. Lesser as in less societally and/or mentally developed. Dragons were in an odd range as well, some were more beast like and could be tamed, while others were on par with humanoids. It generally depended on the species from her understanding. And if they were partial dragons, like a dracostryx would be. 

Which brought her to the matter of _Dracostryx_. There was an entry for them, though they were listed as originating from somewhere other than Tunis. Great. It didn't help that the entry looked _nothing_ like a proper Stryx. Instead of the primarily bird like form, with draconic features, what was present was a strange mix of bird and dragon, blended together in a confusing, unrealistic manner. It looked more like it had been designed to be as frightening as possible, like many of the other beings depicted in the book. Most of them didn't even look right by what she knew, or had seen in books of her own world, though some beings, like Dragons and Leviathans, had a good deal of variation to them. 

She was so absorbed in how wrong the depicted image of Stryx were that she didn't notice when the door opened, until it creaked. She jumped, not hiding her work, Dewey frowning as he walked in and spotted the book. 

"How did you-" He started to demand, before stopping short, eye falling on her notes. His eyes went _wide_ , far wider than she would have thought possible as he quickly grabbed the notepad, eyes skimming the page. He could see she had written in Tunisian at the start, before abruptly transitioning to the mystery language that had plagued him for so long. That had plagued _many_ of the Association of Historical Knowledge for so long. "How do you know this language, imp?"

"La-Language?" Pippen questioned, trying to act like she didn't know what he meant. "T-They're just drawings M-Mister-"

"These are not just drawings." He cut in. "There is far too much purpose behind this, to much precision and a pattern to your symbol usage. How do you know this script, Imp?" 

He looked down at her, seeing her nervous, uneasy expression, his mind moving fast. What was it that Ms. Buttercup was always saying? ' _A little Kindness goes a long way, Dewey.'_ That was what she was always saying to him. He was a stern person, with a very strict code of contact.. but sometimes the head librarian argued that he was too stern, that sometimes he frightened the children and patrons when it was unnecassary. It was pretty clear here that was true. So for this matter, he would try a different route.

"Please. This is very important to not just me, but to the entire Association of Historical Knowledge. We have been trying to figure out how to read this language for years. _Please_. There are so many books, so much lost knowledge. I will do anything for an explanation of this script. I will remove the black marks on your library history, I will even remove all of Bendy's past history and help you with whatever it is you seek, just please. I desperately need to know how this language works." Dewey pleaded.

Pippen paused, looking up to him uncertainly. Should she tell him? It could help Bendy but.. she had no idea what kind of books he was speaking about. Or what the books could say. But.. that lead to the question, how did they acquire books in Wyverian script in Tunis? 

"I- M-Maybe. I need to think about this. I-I can't just-" Pippen began, her voice nervous.

"Please! I'm begging you. There is-" He paused, glancing to the door, shutting it quickly before returning to her, his tone almost conspiratorial. "The true history of Tunis waits for us in these books I am certian. The history the Angelic and Scientific Council do not want us to know. Our history _with humans."_

Her eyes widened, and he continued. "Everyone knows to fear the humans. That is what the councils teach us. That they are terrible, merciless monsters who would tear us apart. But what we of the Association of Historical Knowledge have gleaned from the old books suggest different. But they are not clear. We have to go back further. There is more. More they do not want us to know."

She wobbled slightly, overwhelmed by everything he had dropped on her. Humans were monsters to Toons? It.. It seemed almost fitting. For many Wyverians, Toons were veiwed as monsters, until they were taught better, or saw as much themsleves. But where had the dynamic come from? Why were Toons so loathed, despite their rarity? Why were humans so loathed here, despite how rare they appeared to be?

"Please, I am begging you. We cannot let the truth die becuase of fear." Dewey pleaded, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know we did not get off to a good start, but you hold a very important key. The key to our real history."

"I- I need time. To write it down. Please." Pippen squeaked, feeling sick. She was utterly relived she had not mentioned humans to Henry or Bendy. Not with what she know knew. If she had.. who knows how they would have responded. The danger she would have put Glory and herself in.. "I-I'm still working it out myself. I promise, I will come back." 

"..I understand." Dewey finally answered, standing up slowly. If he put to much pressure on her, he could loose a valuable lead. He knew where the Steins lived. So long as the girl did not abruptly leave.. but if they were getting a library card, then she would likely be here for a while. Otherwise they would have used Henry's card. No. Henry was watching over the strange imp, and likely intended to watch over her for as long as felt necassary. He had overheard Henry's concerned discussion with Ms. Buttercup, trying to work out where the strange imp possibly could have come from. "I beg you. For the sake of our true history. Return with a key for this language."

"I-I will. Mr D-Dewey." Pippen squeaked. She started to edge towads the door, and the library assistant opened it shifting his expression to one of sterness.

"And do not let me catch you breaking the rules again." He stated, as if finishing a tirade. "Without the rules, we are little more than barbarians."

"U-Understood, s-sir." Pippen squeaked, wringing her tail nervously. She glanced to the book, though she had long since decided it was mediocre at best. She would need to find a better source. 

"Perhaps, when you return, I can show you a better book on beasts. An older one, but one that most experts claim is far more reputable." Dewey added abruptly as he glanced to the book as well, seeing the furious notes she had taken, and having seen the derision on her face when he had come in. It was a book created by the 'new' Council of Scientific advancement, the one he and most everyone else in the scientific and historical communities knew were in the Angelic Councils pocket, and pushed ever more fearful rhetoric onto the populace. If it weren't for the stir removing it would cause, Dewey would have seen the erroneous literature thrown away, or put into the humor section of the library given how ridiculous it was.

"Y-Yeah." Pippen murmured, nervously stalking out of the room. Bendy and Henry were waiting near the front of the library, the devil wearing a guilty look. It switched to relief as Pippen came out, the Devil starting to run to her, before quickly switching to a fast walk as Dewey walked out of the 'Time out' room. He waited until Dewey had skulked away before speaking.

"Sorry.." He murmured, boiwng his head a bit. "I didn't mean for your first trip to the library to end with you getting chewed out by Dewey." He shuddered, aware of how awful an experience it was to be trapped Dewey during one of his tirades. 

"It's OK." Pippen muttered. "I'd rather take a small blow than watch someone I care about be torn apart over a simple mistake."

Bendy blinked, smiling a bit. He felt a bit of warmth at her admitting she cared. She was always so evasive and nervous that getting an outright admission to anything was rare. At least, it was, though she seemed to be growing more confident and open. "Really though. Thank you. Dewey would have shredded me for causing another accident." He rubbed the back of his head, grinning nervously.

"I'm glad I could be of some help.." Pippen offered in turn, smiling a bit herself. 

"We checked out a couple of the books you were holding onto.. at least the ones we could find in the mess." Henry offered, eyeing Dewey curiously. He had been talking to Pippen for an unusually long time. Usually, first time offenders had a 'time out' and a quick dressing down, or a quick review of the rules. Pippen looked more shaken than Henry would expect, and Dewey had shut the door. He couldn't have done anything to her while she was in there, could he have?

"Oh, thank you!" Pippen smiled, the expression wiped from her face. If Dewey had done something serious, she wouldn't recover so quickly, right? He could always ask but.. Pippen was always so evasive and unwilling to give a straight answer. If he asked her, would she tell him? It felt like she trusted them more, but she was still evasive in some ways. He would try asking her later.

As they walked outside, a large shadow passed over them, gone before any of them could see what cast it. They were all looking up , but Pippen was the only one to notice the feather, catching it as it drifted down and nearly slid into the road. It was a silver flight feather, to small to be Glory's, but.. The feeling of it, the energy slowly fading from the lost plume. This was no common bird. This was a Stryx. There was another Stryx in Tunis.

  
==============  


"Heart has found food!" Heart cheered, hopping over a ragged wooden fence. Behind her, Little Bird trotted after her, the green and gold bird sporting an annoyed look in her bright blue eyes. They had been flying all over this Noktus forsaken land, but they had brought only enough rations for a day! The entire time they had been trying to shake Icarus and Luke, who had stubbornly pursued them despite Heart's desire to explore alone. After all, Luke would ruin her 'fun.'

Beyond the fence were rows upon rows of waving corn, all present in neat and orderly rows. It looked like a farm, and while Heart and Lil Bird had been told they could _not_ raid the farms around Sunna and Moonli.. There were no rules for farms in Tunis. Heart barely respected the laws of commerce and property as it was, and Lil Bird had no issue with breaking rules and letting Heart take the heat for it if it meant fulfilling a need.

Hopping the old fence was an easy matter for Lil Bird, a quick flap of her wings taking her over the barrier. It was pathetic and old, so whoever owned the corn would likely not be able to put up much of a fight either way. They wouldn't be taking much more than what they needed. Even with the sun up as high as it was, the chances of running into someone in all this corn were low. If they heard someone come by, they would just hide. Her green plummage helped a great deal with such matters.

They waded into the midst of the corn, slowly picking ripe corn cobs, tearing away the husks and beginning to feast. It was a simple matter after all. The corn gave way with ease, allowing them to feast, though they knocked more than a couple excess cobs to the ground. It was little matter to both of them. At least, it was initially.

"Hey!" A raspy voice spat, deep and slightly gutural. "What do you think you are doing?!"

The pair turned, spotting a tall toon with pitchfork on hand, pointing it at them. He was a wolf toon, with a scruffy hide, primarily black but with markings of grey and white along his face. One ear sat high while the other was half crocked, permanately limp. He wore clothing typical of farmers, overalls and a plaid shirt underneath. The figure stood with a battle ready stance, his fangs bared in fury. 

Behind him stood a tall humanoid, a toon, but she looked surprisingly human. Tall, with a slightly curvy figure, and long black hair flowing from her head, held in a pony tail. She had pale skin, and wore a white cotton shirt and a skirt. The second toon seemed more uncertain about the fight they were possibly going to engage in, but held a hoe at the ready none the less, ready to back up her husband.

"Heart is eating." Heart answered, chewing on a cob of corn. She stood up, stretching her limbs without a care. "The land makes it, Heart eats it, the land reclaims it."

"Those are _our_ crops!" The wolf snapped. "We raised it, we tended to it, and we saw it bare fruit! You can't take it for yourself you selfish pig!"

"Please. You can't take people's crops. We need them or we'll lose the farm- " The female offered, trying to reason with them. They couldn't afford more damage to their crops. 

"Crops?" Heart echoed around a cob in her mouth, shrugging. She spat out the cob, sticking her tongue out and glaring at the pair as she used a finger to pull down her lower lid, her hood down to reveal her horns. "Heart no believe in crops! There is only land sustenance! No difference!"  
  


Beside her, Lil Bird idly watched her, raising a brow to the pair. She was wildly indifferent to the plight of the farmers. She glanced back to Heart, waiting for a command. Heart stretched in front of the pair, indifferent to their weapons, more than capable of fighting without a weapon. 

"If fight you want, Heart will give!" The impim declared, baring her clawless digits. "Heart will make you cry!" She crouched, preparing to pouce-

A gust of wind passed over the Toons, brown and black plummage filling their upturned gazes. Passing over them was a giant bird, it looked like a crow with a dragon tail. It hadn't even passed over them before a chill wind exploded from the crow like birds mouth, covering the Impim and freezing her legs in place, the Tyto leaping out of the way of the ice breath in time to avoid the brunt of it. 

"Not fair, Luke-Boy!" Heart shouted around chattering fangs, trapped in place. Icarus and Luke landed to the side and between the groups, stopping the toons from approaching, or Lil Bird from interfeering. 

"What is 'not fair' is you stealing these people's livelihood when you are more than capable of regrowing the vegetables you took with your level of druidic skill." Luke calmly answered. He turned to the stunned pair, though the wolf still glared with defiance. "Please, forgive us this intrusion. It was wrong for Heart to take what she has, and we will do what we can to repay you for the damage we caused." 

"H-Human-" The female gasped, staring at the boy. 

"Yes. I am. Forgive me if that bothers you. I do not mean to cause you alarm." Luke answered, keeping his calm tone. He did not want to cause fear among the populace, especially at such a sensitive time. "I am simply here to corral this Impim back to our home lands, and preven her from causing trouble. But seeing as I have failed that second task, than we must repay you for the damage we have caused.

"Unfreeeze meeeeee!" Heart whined, pressing her hands into the ground, able to bend that far but unable to free her frozen legs. 

"Repair the damage you have done. I am certain there is enough wasted corn on the ground for you to work you druidic magic and undo this damage." Luke answered, turning his strange eyes away from the pair of toons, who eyed each other uncertainly. A human, in Tunis? They were so rare... And this strange being he traveled with..

"Heart damaged nothing!" Heart shouted.

"You damaged their crops, their livelihood." Luke reiterated in a dissaproving tone. 

"We will suffer becuase of your mindlessness!" The wolf snarled. 

Heart whined, annoyed her simple day had been ruined. Her meal was interrupted, her good mood ruined, and now she had to work. She sighed, putting a hand to the ground and setting to work. The broken stalks around her straightened out, fresh ears of corn growing from the renewed stalks, the ground consuming the fallen cobs for the energy necessary for the spell. 

"There, it is back! Heart wants freedom!" Heart snapped once the plants were regrown. 

"Only if you stop rampaging across the country side." Luke stated simply. "I am tired of chasing you across this strange land, and now... there is no path home anymore."

"Luke-Boy is being stupid!" Heart snapped. "If cave collapses, dig a hole! Even Heart knows that!"

"It is sealed with magic." Luke stated. "While you two were running wild, I went back for help rounding you up.." He paused, glancing towards the toons, than Heart. He muttered a spell, the ice around her talons shattering away. "We will continue this else where." 

He turned, preparing to order Icuras into the air, before the voice of the female toon caught his attention. 

"Wait!" She called. She hesitated, glancing between them, as the sullen Impim remounted her Stryx. "Who- No. You must go to the west. We are due a visitation from a group who are part of the Angelic Council. If you are true and do not wnat to cause trouble, than running into them will undermine that goal-"

"Allison!" The wolf barked, shocked by her actions. "Why are you-"

"There's an abandoned mansion to the west, deep in the forest. No one goes there anymore, the forest is dangerous and treachorous, so most avoid the area, but with your birds you can reach it easily. Please. If you desire peace.. Than prove it. Go there." Allison commanded.

"Is that so.." Luke muttered thoughtfully. He glanced towards the east, than to the west. He did not want trouble, that was true.. and if they could speak to these pair, than they could help take things back down several levels and ensure the peace was maintained. They would go there, and prepare their defenses. Just in case this was a trap. "We will be there, then. Thank you for this chance to pay you back for the damage Heart caused."

With that they took off, both of them flying low to avoid being seen. They would move with care from here out, even if Luke had to freeze Heart solid to make it so. Lil Bird was at least a bit more reasonable than her rider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive my tardiness on posting, but the past couple days have been a nightmare. I'm happy to be able to put out something at last, however, since updating the story is always a positive thing for me  
> Also these quick pics for the story are always fun as well


	9. Struggling to lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> ======
> 
> Art at the top is by the lovely Sweetmint9 on DA (https://www.deviantart.com/sweetmint9) which she did of Pippen's human form for my Birthday! :D

  
  
  
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"Allison, what are you thinking?!" Thomas snapped after the Stryx had flown out of sight. The damage to the field was gone, with no signs of the beings that had intruded upon their property, save a couple large footprints. Allison was already hiding them, destroying the evidence. She was quiet, looking back to him after a moment.  
  
"I.. We had to. Thomas, we couldn't let the Angelic Council find them. That thing, that Impim.. it may have caused us trouble, but that was hardly any different than what has been caused in the past by feral types. And the hu- her companion made her repair the damage. There is good in them-" Allison began.  
  
"Allison, that was a _human_. We are warned not to trust them for a reason-!" Thomas began in his raspy voice. He couldn't let this continue, he couldn't let her get her hopes up.  
  
"Than what about me Tom?" Allison cut in, her voice cold.  
  
"Allison.." Thomas muttered.  
  
"What about my father, Tom?" Allison demanded, lowering her head.  
  
"You know that's different." Thomas began, the wolf puffing up with irritation. "I- Your father-" He fell silent after a moment, looking towards the entrance of the farm. It was some ways away, but his sharp ears picked up the tell tale creak of his front gate. There was someone else here now, likely their unwanted visitors from the council. "We'll continue this later. Do not let on what we saw to them."  
  
"Of course." Allison murmured, putting on a calm expression, running a hand through her hair to neaten up quickly. Together, they walked forward to deal with the Council and what was likely going to be demands for more donations to their 'cause'... And much guilting for the fact they could give no more.  
  
  
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"There. I think that should do it." Pippen murmured, wiping the sweat from her brow. It was an unique day, as she was currently on Boris' farm, helping the wolf with his chores. Originally, she had come with Bendy to the farm because they had found one of Boris' sheep in their living room. None of them could figure out how the sheep had gotten there, but it was there, and it had one of the wolf head tags on it's collar that marked it as Boris'.  
  
From there, they had found the farm in disarray, a sickly Boris trying to do his chores as his elderly mother worried over him. His mother could only do so much, weakened by her years and the wear and tear of time. The lost sheep was clearly the least of Boris' concern as he tried to get the farm back in order. Every time he tried to do something, the slightly confused wolf would only make a fresh mess with his clumsy actions, his mother pleading with him to go back to bed.  
  
Despite Bendy's aversion to work, he couldn't turn a blind eye to his friend when he was in such need, and the devil had offered their aid. Pippen was happy to help, since Boris had treated her kindly on the occasions she had seen him, and being out on the farm, with the rolling hills of grass all around her.. It was nice. Home-y almost. If she closed her eyes and pretended, she could almost fool herself into believing she was back in Wyvera, not at Boris' Farm but Sunna's Farm, which was at the base of Sunna Mountain. She could almost fool herself, but the vegetation's' scent was far too different from home, and the air temperature to warm for the mountain.  
  
"Well, thank you dearie!" Boris' mother cheered as she approached, looking over the cleaned sheep stall. "You're quite a hand at this. Have you done it before?"  
  
"Yeah, my friend Mamun has a farm I would help out on." Pippen murmured, closing her eyes for a moment, before opening them. She realized she had mentioned something of home again, but didn't stress about it this time. Betty didn't seem the type to talk about other people. That and she was so homesick in the moment she couldn't stifle the urge to talk about home.  
  
"Well that's kind of you dearie. Come on inside and we'll set you up with a well deserved meal." Betty hummed, the old gray wolf leading her towards the farmhouse. Pippen dutifully followed after her, depositing the tools she had used back into the shed. It had felt good to do something familiar. She trotted after the elderly wolf, looking over the peaceful little farm quietly. It was smaller than Mamun's, and Mamun's had far more crops than animals, but it was a farm none the less.  
  
The interior of the farm house was homey and warm, cute little decorations on the walls and furniture, likely from Boris' mother. There were dozens of photos of Boris, his mother, and their _massive_ extended family the largest having Boris and his siblings in the center with their parents, and their extended family on both sides. Most of the Boris clan seemed to marry other beast-type toons, save for one, a grizzled looking wolf with grey and white markings along his face, sporting farmer typical attire. Beside him stood an oddly human looking toon, though Pippen had to assume she _was_ a toon, given Tunis' stance on humans.  
  
The kitchen was a bit small, but warm and comforting none the less, a nice round table placed in the center. Betty busied herself around the room with the odd appliances common to Tunis, Pippen watching her use the oven and stove quietly She was still wary of the unfamiliar machinery, having always relied on magic and magic-based items for daily activities that Tunisians used machines for. She would have to learn some proficiency with these odd tools if she wanted to blend in.  
  
Betty set down a generous helping of food on their plates before setting them down in front of them, Boris and Bendy already present at the table. Boris had been there since the pair of demon toons had arrived and taken over, while Bendy had gotten off with some of the faster chores. Not that Pippen minded. Mucking out the sheep's' stalls reminded her of cleaning up on the ranch, and as weird as it was it made her feel a bit more at home.  
  
On the plate was a helping of beans with shreds of meat, corn, a piece of cornbread. Some of the food she had encountered in Tunis were unfamiliar to her, but she had learned pretty quickly that cornbread was a good thing, especially when dipped in bean sauce. Apparently Betty sent the Stein household cornbread pretty often, because they always had some on hand. Most of the meals they made were simple, with less meat than what Pippen was used to, and more 'canned' foods, instead of jarred. As far as she understood, cans were essentially more durable jars, and made in large quantities in places called 'factories'.  
  
"Have fun with the stall, toots?" Bendy teased, assuming she would have had a rough time of it, like he had his first time.  
  
"Yeah, it wasn't that hard." Pippen hummed, softly thanking Betty for the food.  
  
"She's worked on a farm before." Betty hummed, scrubbing the dishes she had used to make the meal.  
  
"You have?" Bendy questioned, curiously eyeing her.  
  
"Ah- Yeah. My Bu- My friend Mamun had a farm. I would help him." Pippen answered, shifting nervously. She needed to be more careful, even with Betty it seemed.  
  
"Oh. That's nice." Bendy hummed, though his mind fixated on her second sentence. Her what? Business partner? Best friend? Boy friend? He paused, shaking his head slightly. What did it matter? What Pippen did was Pippen's business. That's what he told himself at least..  
  
"Yeah. He would pay with vegetables and the like. They were good." Pippen awkwardly finished, glancing up to him uncertainly. His tone had changed, but she couldn't identify _why_. He was always only mildly interested, but his tone.. had never sounded like that. Maybe it was just in her head. It probably was..  
  
"I really can't thank you two enough, helping my poor Boris in his time of need." Betty hummed, petting on her son, the wolf's tan muzzle flesh flushing at her words. "You two are very good friends."  
  
"Oh, Ma.." Boris murmured, lightly embarrassed but grateful for her presence none the less. He really wasn't feeling to well, but having his chores taken care of helped take a load off his mind.  
  
"You should get some sleep, Bud!" Bendy offered, glancing in concern towards the wolf. It wasn't often that Boris fell ill, being a healthy, strong young lad, but when he did it usually hit him _hard_. Boris sniffled softly, rubbing his nose and nodding.  
  
"I think I will.." He mumbled. "After I eat. Thank you for you help guys.."  
  
"Anythin' for a friend!" Bendy declared, grinning. Pippen nodded, smiling a bit, though she wasn't sure if Boris would consider her a friend. She didn't want to jump to conclusions..  
  
  
\---------  
  
  
The next day, the sheep was back, this time chilling on the couch, having torn off a chunk of the fabric and begun to chew on it. The animal looked up to them with big, indifferent eyes and _baahed_ around it's mouthful of couch. Henry sighed, Bendy crossing his arms at the sight of the stubborn animal, while Pippen walked over to start pushing it off the couch. Eventually it stepped off, the animal rumbling in disapproval but trotting back to the middle of the room.  
  
"All right." Henry sighed, looking at their destroyed couch. It turned out the mouthful it currently had wasn't the only mouthful the sheep had taken out of the couch. The couch was utterly destroyed, springs and the like poking out of it at all angles, save the spot the sheep had been sitting. "Bendy, Pippen, could you return our friend home? I'm going to work on getting the couch out of here so we can replace it.."  
  
"But you can't do that on your own!" Bendy argued. "You'll throw out your back if you try to take it out on your own!"  
  
"I'm not that old, Bendy.." The man muttered, smiling a bit at his son.  
  
"But you're going to get old if you keep hurting yourself!" Bendy grumbled. "Pippen can get the sheep. She knows where Boris' farm is and it likes her." They glanced to the sheep, who huffed noncommittally. "I'll help you work out the couch details."  
  
"I can do that." Pippen offered, not wanting an argument. She walked to the counter to pull out the emergency sheep leash they kept in case they found one of Boris' sheep. It was a fairly common occurrence, though they didn't make it into the Stein household this often. She returned to the sheep, getting it leashed starting to half tug, half push it out of the comfortable house while Bendy and Henry argued about how to remove the couch. Henry wanted to keep it simple and take it out as one whole piece, while Bendy wanted to go ham and cut it apart into smaller, easier to carry pieces. They would sort themselves out.  
  
The sun was shining gently in the sky, a few puffy clouds sliding along, but not enough to really be a sign of impending rain. A perfectly calm day, toons already beginning to filter out of their homes and to work or school.  
  
School was another weird thing. Sure, there were schools in Wyvera, but they were more a privilege, and less like the ones in Tunis where the youth were required to go to school for several years of their early life. Most schools in Tunis were pretty scattered in their teaching as well, instead of being for a specific vocation or skill like majority of the schools in Wyvera. There were only a few mixed schools similar to Tunis' type of school in Wyvera, and they were usually in large population centers, and cost money.  
  
At least she didn't have to worry about being sent to a Tunis School. Not with her age. Apparently, if she had been younger, she would have been required to go, mystery past or no. According to Henry, there were areas on the far outer edges of the country that did not have 'public' schools, but they generally tried to educate their children as best they could in those areas. Her being from outer Tunis didn't account for her lack of knowledge, that much she had picked up during the conversation.  
  
As Pippen walked towards the outermost edges of what would be considered part of the city, where Boris' farm was present, she brainstormed possible ways to break the news to Henry. She couldn't shake the feeling she was running out of time, bit by bit, until a confrontation over her past would be inevitable. She couldn't hide it forever. There were too many inconsistencies, too much strangeness surrounding her for him not to confront her. Henry was a kind man, but even the kindest of people had to face the pile of strange facts and move past gentle questioning. He had to. He had his son to think of, and his friends.  
  
Despite this, she could think of no way to break the news to him. Not with how humans were viewed. Not with how her test the previous night had gone. She had tried asking about Humans, saying she had heard them mentioned in the library, but.. Henry had looked uncertain, wary as he glanced around, as if fearing he would be judged for his words while Bendy had regaled her with an endless series of horror stories that were 'definitely legit'. It was clear, even as he eagerly regaled them both with the tales, that he was freaking himself out as well, the fear of humans nurtured with care in the most recent generation of toons. Henry had seemed.. different. More thoughtful. But he hadn't stopped Bendy, at least not for a while.  
  
The sheep started trying to nibble her horns, wanting to see if they were edible or not, Pippen shoving the sheep away. They were at the entrance to the farm either way, so there was no point in worrying over the matter. She just needed to drop off this sheep, and then she could go back to sulking over this issue. She couldn't shake the feeling time was running out.  
  
"Oh, hey Pippen!" Boris' voice snapped her attention back to the present, looking up to see the wolf had met her on the path while she wasn't paying attention. "You found Peep! Thanks for bringing her back."  
  
"Ah, it was no problem." Pippen quickly answered. "We found them in the living room again.. but they kind of ate the couch, so that's why I'm here alone."  
  
"She did? Peep!" Boris turned to the sheep, putting his hands on his hips, the sheep unbothered. "I've told you to stop eating furniture! We'll have to pay them back for the damages when we get the chance." He took the leash, shaking his head. "Come on. We have some cornbread that I'd like to send as an apology for Peep's trouble."  
  
"S-Sure." Pippen answered, quickly following the wolf. She wasn't thinking fast enough to deny the request, and if she did at this point it would just be weird. So she followed him, trying to hide her low mood.  
  
"So. What's on your mind?" Boris asked abruptly, making her jump. "You're quieter than usual. I mean, you're quieter than Bendy, but not usually this quiet. You seemed to like the farm yesterday."  
  
"Oh. Ah, I mean- I do. It's very nice out here. It just.. makes me a bit homesick." She lied quickly, though it wasn't a full lie. It did remind her of home, and it did make her feel a bit homesick. She looked over the greenery, seeing a mountain far in the distance, her heart heavy as she murmured to herself, "It makes me miss my birds.."  
  
"You raised birds?" Boris asked curiously. "What kinds?"  
  
"Ah-" Pippen hesitated. "All kinds. Hawks, Owls, Crows, Harpy.. eagles and uh.. vultures. Large vultures." She offered, defaulting to the type of common birds that the avian Stryx types most closely resembled. "I.. Uh. Please don't mention this to the others. I.. I don't want to talk about it with them. I.. I don't know if I'll ever see them again."  
  
"Oh? Why is that?" Boris asked in concern.  
  
"I.. I don't know if I can go home. And that's where all of them are." She answered, eyes falling low with sorrow.  
  
"Ah. I'm so sorry. I can see you loved them a lot. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't go back home to my mom and my sheep.." Boris murmured sympathetically, petting Peep's head. "Even if some of them are trouble."  
  
"Heh. Everyone can be trouble, no matter what they are. Birds, toons, h- Anyone." Pippen murmured. "It's part of the fun."  
  
"What's it like, raising birds?" Boris asked. "If you don't mind me asking. The only bird I've ever owned was a chicken when I was a kid, and I don't think they're like the kinds you raised."  
  
"It's .. unique. I mean. They have their own personalities and temperaments, like everyone else, even if they fall into similar habits common to their species. But in a broad sense? Owls are smart, and sensitive, good senses and occasionally prone to being emotional. Hawks are more serious, fast and agile, while Harpia- Harpy eagles are prone to being difficult but rewarding companions. Cor- Crows are almost always a handful, ridiculously smart.. but sometimes to smart for their own good. They have a habit of stealing things and getting into things they shouldn't. G- Vultures are the hardest. They know they are large, and scary looking, and some aren't afraid to throw their weight around and bully people or other birds." Pippen slowly recounted, carefully avoiding the proper classifications for the Stryx types where she could.  
  
"Interesting." Boris hummed. "My sheep have a pretty wide variety of personalities too, but I noticed that certain breeds act a bit differently from the others sometimes. At least, at first, until they adapt in and join the herd."  
  
"Yeah. It's.. Just in a broad sense, though. I've known Gr- Vultures who are actually very kind, and Owls who are vicious, Hawks who are silly, Harpy Eagles who were lazy and easy going, Crows who are dumb.. It just really depends on the individual." She was speaking at a normal volume now, clearly having shifted to subject she was passionate about in spite of the pain attached to it. "I've- I've met a lot of birds. Those five types were the most common I worked with at least, but not the only kinds. I mean, I have Redfall, and he's a robin, so I'm open to most types of birds honestly.. I mean.. I uh.. I don't know how to explain it."  
  
"You just really like birds." Boris offered, smiling as Pippen nodded. "Just like how I really like sheep. You don't have to explain it."  
  
"I guess that's the best way to put it." Pippen murmured. They had reached the farm now, and Boris was releasing Peep back into the paddock, muttering to himself about checking for how she kept getting out. ".. Do you name all of them?"  
  
"Yup. You've met Peep, the destroyer, and over there, the fella with one horn smaller than the other, that's old Pete. The brown and cinnamon one next to him given him doe eyes is Cammy. The one trying to hide behind her with the extra thick wool is Little Dolly. Over there is Rick and Morty, Johnny Appleseed, The Don... Ah I think you can see, if you stand on the fence there, you can get a glimpse of Goldy and Silvi, they like to hang out together a bit to the side of the group and act secretive and cool. And there's Danni." He pointed them out one by one, finishing with a sheep with ragged wool and wild eyes. "Not sure what's wrong with him. Can't keep him clean to save my life. Moment I turn my back, he's dirty again."  
  
He shrugged, looking to Pippen, who was smiling gently. "You've got a field of interesting characters." She murmured, kicking her legs as she slid to sit down atop the fence.  
  
"Yeah. They're a real interestin' lot." Boris answered proudly, smiling a bit. "I imagine a bunch of birds were real interestin' to have around all the time."  
  
"That's an understatement." Pippen laughed, staring down at the grass with sad eyes. "It was chaotic, but it was a controlled chaos..." She looked up towards the massive sheep Boris had pointed out as 'The Don', opening her mouth to speak. "So why is he called The Don?"  
  
"Because he's the boss." Boris answered. "Or at least, boss of the sheep. No one starts a fight with The Don."  
  
"Huh. Sounds like Hypatia." Pippen murmured. "She was a handful, but she kept everyone else around her in line."  
  
"There's always one in the group who keeps everyone together." Boris mused.  
  
"Yeah. The only bird who could get on her sweet side was her mate, Atabulus. He acted more like a dog than a bird, trying to get treats out of everyone and always being silly. You'd think she'd have hated him the most, but she liked him a lot." Pippen murmured, Boris nodding in understanding. He didn't speak, letting Pippen slowly continue to talk, seeing as it was one of the few times she would open up.  
  
"Hypatia was a handful, but she was helpful. She helped us rear a number of the younger birds, taking care of them in a way only another bird could. Most of the younger birds respected her, even if she hadn't raised them.." Pippen murmured, eyes distant. "The only bird she would listen to was.. Saturnine."  
  
She fell silent, emotions flaring through her eyes so quickly that Boris couldn't begin to keep up with them. Her head dipped a little lower, her tail in her hands as she nervously rung it, looking up to the sky sadly. "But everyone respected Saturnine.."  
  
"What was she like?" Boris asked curiously.  
  
"She was.. She is beautiful." Pippen murmured. "She is the most beautiful owl I've ever seen in my life. She's this creamy color, with dashes of white along her back and neck, and the upper half of her wings. Stomach all soft and near white. Brown barred wings with white bars above it, and feathers along her legs. Long soft tail feathers, and her face.. A brown eclipse, with white dots above the eyes and this complicated brown mark around her eyes. And her eyes.. So strange. They're a pale tan on the sclera and white iris, and small pupils. A lot of people mistook her for a blind bird, but she isn't. She couldn't be, not with what she does."  
  
"What she does?"  
  
"She helps people who are lost." Pippen answered, eyes distant. "She always has. She's such a kind soul. If you're lost in the deep of night, Saturnine will guide you home. That's how I met her. I thought.. I thought I was going to die. But than I met Saturnine. She showed me how to get to shelter, and stayed with me because I was scared..." She flushed in embarrassment, pausing as she realized she was saying to much, but unable to stop. She missed her home so much, and speaking about it made it feel a little closer. "We became friends from there. And one day, she came home with me."  
  
Silence fell, a deep sense of sadness bleeding into it. Pippen's tail fell from her hands, the imp looking away. "I.. I'm sorry. You have chores and the like to be working on don't you? Important things to do."  
  
"I do. But I have plenty of time." Boris hummed thoughtfully. She looked up to him, uncertain and guilty before looking away again.  
  
"Yeah, but.. You have better things to do than listen to me." She mumbled. "I.. I'll just stay and mope all day if I'm given the chance."  
  
"That's not a bad thing." Boris muttered. "You said you can't go home. If you bury the pain, it will just make you sick." He looked away, sighing. "I should know. When my brothers and sisters started leaving the farm for their own goals.. Well. It was weird. We went from a full house to what we have know."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry Boris.." Pippen mumbled, giving him a sympathetic look.  
  
"It sounds like you came from a pretty full house too.." The wolf stated calmly. "You don't have to be alone, you know? Mr. Stein is really understanding, and so is Bendy, even if he doesn't show it."  
  
Pippen looked away, expression thoughtful, but said nothing. Boris continued. "But I won't say anything to them about your birds. Not without your permission, since that's what you asked."  
  
"Thank you, Boris." Pippen whispered, eyes watering a bit. "For being understanding of all my weirdness."  
  
"You're welcome, Pippen" Boris rumbled honestly, looking up towards the sky. "Oh look. There it goes again. Hey Pippen, you know a lot about birds. What kind of bird is that?"  
  
She hesitated, knowing Glory's route to the islands, but finally looked up. Instead of black and silver feathers, her eyes fell upon black and cream, with only the wings being silver. The form was too small to be Glory's, even at the elevation they flew, the upper half of their body a creamy white, while the lower half was black. Both sides of the wings were cream as well, where Glory's was only silver on one side.  
  
"A.. Corva..?" Pippen muttered, slowly sliding off of the fence, her eyes not falling from the Stryx. It was heading for the city, that much was apparent, but why? Why would a Corva be in the city? It was so crowded and the buildings were so dense. Unless it intended to fly around the city. But it had flown through it before. She was certain the shade of cream on the crow-dragon was the same as the feather she had caught when they came out of the library a couple days ago. "I-I gotta go! I'll talk to you later, Boris!"  
  
Pippen took off before he could speak, the wolf watching in confused bemusement as she took off running, following the bird. Maybe it was a very rare bird, and she wanted to see where it landed. He couldn't say, but what he could say for certain was that there were chores to do, and naps to be had.  
  
  
\-------  
  
  
Pippen was panting softly by the time the Corva began to circle towards the ground, her throat raw from running nearly non-stop. She had lost sight of the Corva a couple times when the lay of the land had betrayed her, but she hadn't given up, using every ounce of skill and experience she had to track the bird even while it was airborne. She had seen the direction it was going in, and it had scarcely strayed from that path.  
  
Fortunately, the Corva flew around the city, which meant she didn't have to traverse an area she was still so wary of, and where it would be so easy to lose it. It made sense, since it would be an area where it could be seen, and as she had gotten a bit closer with some careful path choices, she had noticed it was carrying something. Not a prey item, but something in a canvas bag from what she could tell. Something large, possibly bordering on the edge of the bird's limitations.  
  
She crouched nervously along the edge of a small forest area, watching the Corva land. Average size, healthy weight, black feather base with a cream 'sunrise' marking covering it head, and upper chest, where it faded into black. Silver wings, fading into the cream and black where it met the body. It's face was white, edged in dull cream-gray, and a thick cardinal like crest. Two white tips on the outer two feathers of it's primary tail feathers, two tips on it's secondary tail feathers, symmetrical and neat. Dull gold eyes, grey beak and talons.  
  
But how did it get here? Was it born in Tunis? Did it come here through another portal? What was it doing? Her head swirled with questions, but she didn't dare to approach. It was clear the bird was working for someone, or else it wouldn't be carrying all of this junk out to a field near the city. If it was stealing these items for it's hoard, it would not be bringing it out into the open, it would be hiding the items within. It was waiting for someone, looking around slowly and croaking softly.  
  
She'd never been this far away from the Steins' home, at least not without Glory.. and with him she had never been this low. They had crossed a river to get to this side of the city, the 'bad side' as Bendy had called it. Henry had warned her against going near this side, speaking of higher crime rates and shifty people. Bendy had told her people were unfriendly there, and would try to take advantage of any demon type toon they thought looked weak enough to boss around, or manipulate into use for.. other matters. Both had agreed she shouldn't go into this area. And yet here she is.  
  
A pair of figures were approaching the Corva, who had perked up at the sight of them, crowing softly to them.  
  
The first was quadrupedal, with a bean shaped body and six limbs. Four of them were used as legs, working in tandem on each side. When one on the left went forward, the second moved with it. It gave him an odd waddle, but it made the spider like toon considerably less unnerving to look upon. His head was large, like a square but rounder, the top half rounder than the bottom. On the side of his round head, nearest the bottom half, were two small, round ears. He had thick lips, a fang pointing out on each side. Two white marks were over the lips, a bumpy moon white marking, a pie cut eye in line with each bump.  
  
The second was considerably taller than the first, a bipedal figure with a humanoid like body. His lower half was a vaguely tear drop shape, while his head was an oval. The midsection of his head on each side had a pale ear on each side, just below his dark sideburns which was flipped out behind them, and connected to his beard, which curved along the lower edge of his face. His eyes were pie cut, as was common, and slanted to a disapproving expression, an animal like nose in the middle of his face. Along his teardrop shaped body he wore a tailcoat and silver vest, a black tie, while beneath it he wore black, shiny shoes, and at the end of his long arms were white gloves so popular with toons.  
  
They approached the Corva confidently, the spider far more eager than the first which Pippen suspected was a leprechaun. She had never seen one, but she had heard rumors of them, humanoids with nice clothing and a small blend of animalistic features. Always an animal like nose, with which they sniffed out the gold they desired so much. At least, that is what the stories said.  
  
She watched as the Corva happily nuzzled it's head into the spider, which didn't entirely surprise her. While the toon spider looked far too distinct to be mistaken for a hunting spider common to Wyvera, large spiders in general and Stryx were known to fall into symbiotic relationships easily. The spider would keep their nest clean, and not disturb any clutch they may have, while the Stryx would not eat the spider, and provide it shelter from the weather and other predators who would try to eat them. It was simple and easy, and a relationship that had been noted for years between the species, likely thanks to the fact that more defiant spiders were usually eaten and cut out of the gene pool.  
  
So here were the owners, but how had they come to own this Corva? The book had claimed that Dracostryx were from another land, arguably Wyvera, but.. Dewey had suggested the book wasn't that good of a source. The picture had been wrong but.. Dracostryx were undeniably rare, or she would have seen more-  
  
A shriek tore from Pippen as she felt something tackle her from behind, powerful arms wrapping around her. They seemed to be inside of a wet suit of sorts, covered in a thick black fabric and ending in white gloves. There was an odd metal ring at the shoulders, painful to the touch as she was squeezed into the a round stomach and thick chest, both covered in the same black fabric. She could feel a belt buckle biting into her back, and a scraggly beard rubbing against the back of her head.  
  
The figure dragged her out of the woods towards the trio, who were looking towards the noise, the leprechaun's arms crossed and a glare on his face. He smirked a bit, raising his brow with a menacing look. "What have you caught there, Barley?"  
  
"I've caught a little rat, boss! They've been spying on us since the bird landed. I told you the damn thing was flying to low." The one holding her answered, shoving her towards the Corva, who was bristling threateningly, and the spider and Leprechaun. She was trapped between them, tail whipping anxiously. She glanced behind her, seeing a figure with a head that reminded her of an eight in shape, a corn cob pipe sticking out of his mouth and a small sailor cap on his head.   
  
"Well, well. What have we here? A noisy little dame, aye?" The leprechaun muttered, rubbing his bearded chin. "A noisy little imp. Well, we have ways of dealing with noisy little broads like you."  
  
"I didn't see anything-" Pippen offered, bristling with alarm. "I just saw the bird-"  
  
"You saw too much than." The leprechaun grunted. He started to turn back to the pirate looking figure, opening his mouth to give orders. "Take the gir-"  
  
"Wait-!" Pippen cut in, the tall figure glaring at her as she cut him off, bristling. If she was going to suffer some terrible, unknown fate, than she was going to die with some information at least. "Where did you get that Corva? I know they aren't from here, that's why I followed them."  
  
"Corva?" The leprechaun paused, staring at her with interest. The crow dragon had sat up at the name, looking back to the leader with bright eyes. That was a word the bird knew. It started giving him the signal they had taught it when there was something useful to be had, crowing softly as it shifted side to side. They'd had it for about two weeks, ever since Edgar, the spider, had turned up with the thing and proved it was useful, and it had improved their enterprise quite a good deal thanks to it's tips and ability to transport illicit goods without being caught.  
  
"Seems you know some interesting things, imp." The leader of the gang muttered. "Some interesting things you're going to be sharing with us. Barley, grab the brat. Edgar, get the bird."  
  
"Mmm." Barley, the figure behind Pippen, grunted, grabbing her and holding her limbs behind her, the imp struggling helplessly against his strength.  
  
"Right away, Charley!" Edgar declared, whistling to the crow, who picked up it's large sack of goods and started flying towards the right side of the city. The right side she had been warned against, with it's lower buildings, poor maintenance, and higher crime rate. It was the 'older' portion of the city from what she had been told, and the left side, with it's high rises and the like, were newer, and the movement of business had left the city on the right side of the river less well off.  
  
"Put me down!" Pippen snapped, struggling against the pirate, who absorbed her wild kicks and wiggling with ease. It was clear he was a fighter, laughing off her blows as if she were a puppy helplessly nipping at him. She started muttering spells, cutting her loses given the situation. She didn't want to end up in the bottom of a river and leave a rampaging Glory to pick up the pieces. They were pretty far from the city as well, so the chances of being caught were low.  
  
Barley yelped as fire flared around Pippen's arms, making him drop her as he desperately shook the flames off of his gloves. She rolled as she hit the ground, dodging a grab from Charley, who was glaring furiously at her. He put his hand in his vest, pulling out a handgun, Pippen bristling with alarm. She had already seen what those could do, thanks to the mechanical picture box Bendy called a 'T.V.', and she wasn't eager to find out what it would feel like to be hit by one.  
  
She shouted a magic word, something small and simple, since she didn't really know many complex spells. It worked as she desired however fire coating the gun and heating it up to a point the leprechaun could no longer hold it. He cursed, pulling the trigger before he dropped it, shaking his hand and snarling with fury, glaring at her. The sound of it's report was explosive, even louder than what the T.V. had played, hot pain lancing through her left shoulder.  
  
The imp snarled, blood pumping hard and fast through her veins, her eyes taking a wild glint. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a small blade she had been hiding in it for an emergency, and threw it. The blade sang as it cut through the air, a solid _thunk_ resounding as it bit into Charley's shoulder. She glared into his eyes defiantly as it did, her own wild and defiant, like a cornered animal unwilling to die.  
  
"You stupid Bitch!" Charley snarled, hand covering the wound, the knife handle protruding around his fingers. He didn't dare pull it out, pain resonating through his shoulders and arm, the metal having gone deep. Without his gun, and without his dominate arm, he wasn't much of a fighter, but he would still do his best to wipe the defiance from her face. "You'll regret that."  
  
"An eye for an eye, Charley." Pippen spat, clutching her own shoulder. Barley was already recovering from the fire scare, and Edgar was starting to circle around her, hissing threateningly despite the fear in his eyes. Seeing his boss bleed was never a pleasant feeling. Above her, the Corva was circling, croaking threateningly, though it was clear he hadn't been trained to fight, and the knife throw had him scared. Pippen kept her good hand near her hip, even though she didn't have more knifes, eyes snapping around herself in alarm. This might be the e-  
  
"HALT!" A powerful voice declared, magical lights suddenly springing to life and glaring down on the group. Figures in blue with batons and black armor, and others in fine white clothing, primarily sporting lighter colored hair and all with halos, appeared around them. The ones in blue, the police Pippen had been told they were called, held guns, while the angels held swords. Some of the swords burned with light magic, the aura of it making Pippen's spine tingle hard despite the distance. "STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!"  
  
The Corva dove, grabbing Edgar, who was the furthest from the group, quickly winging it away from the trap, several winged angels pursuing him. They likely wouldn't catch him, not with the head start the crow dragon had, and the webbing Edgar kept flinging back wasn't helping them.  
  
Barley didn't even try to run, the sailor taking a swing at the nearest angel, only to receive a flurry of blows from the line of police nearest him. He looked determined to go down swinging, and got a couple blows in on the angels before the bulky police took him to the ground. Charley, on the other hand, didn't even try to fight, simply putting his hand up, glaring daggers into Pippen. What the bird had left behind was nothing of severe impact, just payment and other commodities meant for the gang's base of operations.. but if this had been any other day..  
  
Pippen wobbled, clutching her arm tightly, looking around in confusion. She had never been in the middle of a police sting, though she had seen at least one on T.V. Bendy loved to watch television, and it had turned out to be a sort of good way to learn more about this world. That and Pippen didn't like wandering Tunis alone all the time. That was why she would stay home and watch it with him, even if some of the plot points and ideas flew over her head.  
  
The next moment, she was taken to the ground as well, more gently than Barley, but taken down none the less, just like Charley. She squinted against the pain and dirt as she was pressed into the ground, the police rattling off something about _'anything you say-'_ , while Charley glared at her with unbridled fury. She just hoped, as her arms were twisted behind her and cuffed in cold metal, that she didn't end up sharing a cell with the hardened criminal.  
  
  
===========  
 **Glimpse of the past  
**  
 _The first few days were awkward, to say the least. That is, the first few nights. Mickey quickly found out that Agatha and La Lune both lived a nocturnal life style, as their clan had, and while they could switch to a diurnal schedule, it would take time.. And Mickey had chosen to adapt instead. He didn't want to take away another aspect of her life, when so much had already been taken. She seemed to appreciate the gesture, though it was hard to tell. Agatha was a hard person to read, and he wasn't sure if it was because he was a toon, or because it was her nature.  
  
Adapting to a nocturnal schedule was odd, but not the hardest thing he had done. During his earlier days of magical study, he had slipped into a more nocturnal lifestyle, and it was natural for mice, even toon mice, to prefer times others would be less active. It was part of their feral instincts, even for those at a higher sapience like himself. That was simple at the end of the day.  
  
The problem was the tension lying between them, and for obvious reasons. Mickey was in a totally foreign land, one of myths and legends, traveling with a _human _of all things. Sure, she had showed him a map of Wyvera, and explained a lot of the geography and sights he'd want to see to learn about Wyvera but he was still a fish out of water. Agatha had lost her clan, her way of life, everything she knew.. all of it she had lost to_ toons _. Now she was traveling Wyvera, though her desire to see unfamiliar parts of the land had never outweighed her desire to stay with her clan. At least she had her childhood stryx still..  
  
La Lune was the calmest of the three of them, rolling with the situation and catching prey when they made camp. Agatha would deal with the meat while Mickey helped with other aspects of cooking, though she was beginning to teach him how to survive in the wilds. How to recognize what was edible, mostly through observation but also through spell work, how to cut up a prey item and store the meat for later, the various meals that could be made while traveling with a stryx mount..  
  
Teaching seemed to help her warm up to him, and Mickey was an avid student, listening intently and only interrupting for clarification when she failed to give enough. Occasionally, she would give him tidbits to slowly piece things together himself, not seeming to be one for just spoon feeding answers to people. Other times, she was more straight forward. It depended on the subject, and if she could push him to work it out on his own. She always checked his answers, and corrected him when he started to go in the wrong direction, but she wanted him to grow on his own.  
  
Between the lessons pertinent for day to day life, she began to slowly teach him of the gods, though she was wary of doing so. Not because she cared for his opinion, but because she feared he would say something foolish against the gods and invoke their wrath. But it had been a sign from Galyx that she had seen that drove her onto this mission. They were involved, or at least one was, in what was transpiring here, and the mouse was asking about all aspects of Wyvera life.  
  
So she taught him, starting with the most important god of them all, and the one who. had encouraged her aide, though she didn't admit the second part. Galyx, God of the stars and universe. She told him of how the god was more powerful than all gods, namely the two that Wyverians worshiped, but likely of gods of other lands as well, and how it's most common form was that of an enormous moth, said to have eyes on his wings, which showed them all that happened in the universe. They were an entity, beyond description, and believed to be the architect of everything, and all beings submitted themselves to their power and authority.  
  
"A moth made everything?" MIckey echoed, raising a brow.  
  
"The moth is a form they take so that we may understand his presence. As with the other gods, if we were to see them in their full glory, we would not understand what we saw of her." Agatha answered.  
  
"Wait.. you said him, and then her...?" Mickey muttered.  
  
"They use both, or neither." Agatha answered. "They are beyond our conception of gender, beyond our conception of many things. But they will appear before us through moths, who will act as their messengers be it good or bad omens they carry."  
  
"Well, if they made everything, they must be a good god than.." Micky mumbled, scribbling something into his notebook. He was always taking notes about Wyvera, and drawing pictures of La Lune.  
  
"Perhaps." Agatha answered, bringing the mouse to pause. "We are not sure. Some believe the ways the create are chaotic and wrathful, while other believe they are a peaceful and loving guardian of creation. From what I understand, or was taught, they are both. Like a parent, they can unleash their wrath upon the unruly children of the earth to punish them while creating something greater from our evils, but when we are obedient, they show their true colors as a loving, albeit distant, guardian."  
  
"Sounds.. tricky.." Mickey mumbled, scratching notes furiously into his notebook. "What about the other two you mentioned? You said there were two others that work with him."  
  
"They are Nokt and Daius." Agatha answered, holding up La Lune's tack and turning it around in her hands, slowly looking for flaws and damage. This tack now protected two lives, and she needed to ensure it was in perfect condition before they took off the next night. Behind them, outside the cave they sheltered in, the sun was beginning to rise. She looked towards it, Mickey following her gaze.  
  
"Daius is the God of the Sun. The form they most commonly take that we mortals can comprehend is that of a phoenix like eagle, many times larger than even the largest Gryph to ever fly above the earth. It is a form so brilliant they could blind you instantly, if they so desired, and if you have invoked their wrath. They bring to us light and warmth, and are considered the master of all beings who align with the element of light." Agatha explained, her tone serious as she returned her gaze to the saddle. "He is the husband of Nokt, and the father of our planet, and as such we of the earth are all his grandchildren. Though he desires a good life for all of his grandchildren, as any grandparent would, he also respects those who display strength and great prowess, especially if it is in one with honor."  
  
"So.. you could say he's a war god?" Mickey asked after a moment.  
  
"People pray to him for aid before battles and during wars, so yes. While he is not one for mindless slaughter, he has been known to side with and aide those who fight on the path of righteousness, and seek an ultimate goal of peace. It is only when you cross the line from defending yourself and others to active slaughter does the god turn his back on you." Agatha answered.  
  
"And Nokt, I would guess, is the Goddess of the Moon?" Mickey asked. "And Mother to the planet?"  
  
"You would be correct." Agatha answered, slowly repairing the stitching along one side of the saddle. "She is most commonly seen as an enormous black owl, with a silver face of the moon. Some believe the moon itself is her face, and the sun is the head of Daius, and refer to them as such. She is the mistress of the nigh, and mother to all beings who align with the element of shadow and darkness. She is proof that though we fear those elements due to past events, this alignment does not mean a being is inherently evil."  
  
"That's.. a good thing to remember.." Mickey murmured, thoughts turning to the turmoil back home, and the continuous struggle between 'light' toons, like angels and their kin, and 'dark' toons, like devils and demons. Neither side was inherently good or evil, no matter what was said, because they were all composed of individuals. He had met plenty of 'dark' toons who were rather kind and helpful, and he had met a number of less than pleasant 'light' toons who dressed up their actions to make them look good, when in truth they were terrible. It was just a matter of how they were raised, how they were treated through life, and how they chose to act. You can't judge a book by it's cover.  
  
"It is." Agatha agreed.  
  
"It's strange. I think I've heard something like this before.. somewhere." Mickey murmured after a couple moments. "I rememeber a village in western Tunis that regarded owls as important.. and there was one near the southeast that had a close kinship with eagles.."  
  
"Those could have evolved on their own." Agatha pointed out. "Even a normal owl is a majestic creature, and eagles are good companions to have, especially in the wilds."  
  
"Yeah." Mickey muttered. But he couldn't shake the feeling he had seen more, though he couldn't pull up the memory at the moment. There was something about the ruins along the southeast edge of Tunis, along the mountains that marked the edge of Tunis, and the beginning of the magic void. Something about the crumbled buildings there.. and all the moth imagery he was slowly remembering he had found all over the castle throughout his life. No one could explain it, other than it was possibly just a quirky art choice from a long forgotten king, deep in their forgotten past..  
  
"Anyway, that's it for lessons today." Agatha declared. "Get some sleep. We rise early, before the sun has fully set. That way we can sleep in an actual inn next time we lay down.."  
  
"Sounds like a plan." Mickey declared amicably, scribbling notes down about the ruins and castle. He would think on it more later. Right now, he needed to sleep. Agatha was merciless when it came to sticking to a schedule_


	10. Jailhouse blues and tempting offers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

"Hello?" Henry murmured as he picked up the phone, a sense of light anxiety coloring the atmosphere of the Stein household. it was starting to get late, so late that the sun was nearing it's time to set, and Pippen had not returned. She had reached Boris' farm, that much they knew from Wally, who they had seen in town while buying a new couch. He had walked by the farm entrance on his morning walk and seen her walking with Boris. But she hadn't returned.  
  
The first thing they had done was check if she had stayed to help around the farm again, since Boris had been ill the day prior and might need help. The idea was swiftly shot down as Betty had picked up her phone and politely informed them the imp was no longer there. According to Boris, she had seen a rare bird, and had followed it towards the woods. He couldn't identify it, and he hadn't remembered what Pippen had said it was either, leaving them in the dark.  
  
Bendy shifted anxiously on the couch, only partly watching the T.V., his attention on Henry. His gut was twisting with concern, more so than he realized he would feel over Pippen vanishing again, and more than he had felt the first time. But that incident had been about a month ago, maybe a bit longer. She had been a stranger than, but now she was their friend. A very good, very odd friend who was trying to tell them something, but didn't know how to do so. He could tell from the occasional odd tone or question that she was trying to work out a way to tell them her secret.. whatever it was.  
  
He wanted to know what it was, and out of more than just curiosity at this point. It would be a sign of extreme trust if she successfully told her secret to him, he was certain. The idea sent a flush of warmth through him, though he wasn't sure why. It just did.  
  
"Sh-She was what?" Henry gasped, his words making Bendy peer over the couch in concern, eyes wide. That was not a good sound. Henry muttered and grunted for a couple more minutes, mostly 'I understand' s and 'Uh huh' s, before finally hanging up the phone and turning to Bendy.  
  
"So, that was Alice. She says Pippen's been arrested." Henry began.  
  
"She's been what?!" Bendy shouted, eyes widening in shock. "What do you mean, she's been arrested?"  
  
"If you would let me finish." Henry held up a hand, gesturing for him to calm down. "It's not _that_ bad. She had a run in with the Butcher Gang, and they took her in for questioning. At least.. that's how Alice put it but.. We know how it will look to them for a toon of her type to be around toons like that.."  
  
The devil bristled at the mention of the Butcher Gang, anger and a small shard of betrayal in his eyes. "Those punks are still running loose?! What's the point in all these angels running around and all these extra coppers if they can't even catch those three?" He demanded. "Pippen wouldn't work with those chumps!"  
  
"I know that Bendy." Henry offered, holding up his hands. While he had his suspicions about her odd behavior, the idea of her working for Charley didn't sit right with him. Not with what Charley had tried to do to Bendy, and the opinion of demon type toons he had expressed during the incident. They were better as tools, temporary things that one got rid of fairly quickly, according to him. Henry couldn't imagine him employing an Imp, no matter what he had on them. "But.. We both know how the cops will treat this."  
  
"We have to get her out!" Bendy demanded, standing on the couch in righteous indignation. "She shouldn't have to be in there with those galoots just because they don't know how to leave anyone alone!"  
  
"...She will be released.. in a couple days." Henry answered after several moments. "She isn't being held with the police."  
  
"...She's being held by the Angelic Council, ain't she?" Bendy questioned, a bit of his indignation sliding away, though fear began to replace it. He had heard rumors of unpleasant things happening to dark toons who were left in the Angelic Council's hands for too long. They would have to busy her as much as possible to ensure she didn't 'disappear'.  
  
"They were the ones who spear headed the investigation against the Butcher Gang, so they all were taken in to the local Sanctuary of the Angelic Council." Henry sighed. "That's why it was Alice who called me. She says since we aren't listed as her family, the Council wasn't going to call us, but she couldn't leave us in the dark. Especially since it will take a couple days before the Council will let her out."  
  
"We have to go!" Bendy declared, Henry looking to him in surprise. The devil flushed a bit at his father's look, but pushed on. "Bad things happen to toons like us in their, dad. I've heard of other demons and dark types going 'missin' after they happen to go in that place and end up in the Angelic Council's power. Toons that didn't have a lot of people watching out for them."  
  
"I understand." Henry muttered, crossing his arms in thought. He and Bendy alone couldn't keep her constantly watched, though Bendy could cover a good deal of time. Boris might be able to donate some time, and Henry could pull some favors with the others to at least have them visit her. If it looked like there were many people watching out for her, than it would be unlikely that the Council would risk trying to 'vanish' her.  
  
"Let's go!" Bendy declared, not caring what time it was.  
  
"Bendy, they won't be open to visitors by the time we get there-" Henry cut in, catching his son by the shoulder.  
  
"So?! We can't just leave her there alone-"  
  
"Alice is there." Henry countered. "And she's keeping an eye on her for us until we can visit. Pippen isn't going anywhere, as much as she and we would honestly like her to be able to do so."  
  
"But..." Bendy deflated a bit, guilt and uncertainty on his face. "Dad, I've been in that place. It's awful. It's cold and the angels are always looking for a reason to punish you.."  
  
"I know." His father muttered, petting the younger toon's head, trying to offer him some comfort. "But there's only so much we can do. If we get in trouble, we might not be able to see her at all. We just have to trust Alice."  
  
"...But Alice trusts the other angels and the council.." Bendy muttered. It wasn't that pleasant to speak ill of his friend, given she was improving with time, but.. It was the truth. Despite her time with them, she still trusted them.  
  
"She won't let anything happen to Pippen." Henry promised.  
  
  
===========  
  
  
Pippen sighed, glancing around the tiny metal cell she sat inside for the hundredth time. Her shoulder had been bandaged, the bullet removed none to gently, while she had only been semi conscious thanks to pain and exhaustion. Pursuing the Corva from one side of the city to another had not been easy, and then engaging in a fight using magic, even just simple spells, had eaten through her energy. Her hip ached lightly where she had been hit a month ago, though she had not been wounded there again.  
  
The cell was small, a metal box with a small uncomfortable cot, a chair, and a table built into the wall. The space was terribly small, and would be even if the furniture was removed, and Pippen was grateful for the simple accommodations. There was a small cubicle in the corner that lead to a bathroom, one that did not lock and had to be held shut for privacy, and could be removed if a prisoner tried to barricade themselves in there.  
  
To her right was a hallway, through which she heard padded shoes occasionally, mostly angels, and the occasional police officer acting as a guard. To her left were more cells, most of them unoccupied, save for one far at the end. She had no idea who was done there. But she knew who was across from her.  
  
Charley hadn't stopped glaring at her since they had been assigned to their cells, the leprechaun's anger unrelenting. She did her best not to look at him, not giving him the attention he wanted. She had already found out that the Butcher Gang were going to get out before her, since the sting had found nothing of substance to hold them. Not legally at least. But that didn't mean the Gang would be off of their radar.  
  
What she didn't get was why _she_ was going to be here for so long. Sure they wanted to 'question' her, to check if she was part of the gang, or another gang, or something like that since there was so little information on her, but.. She couldn't shake the feeling there was something more to this. She knew the Angelic Council treated demon type toons unfairly compared to the others but.. Something felt off. They kept taking note of how few connections she had to the city.  
  
At least she had Alice. The angel had been checking in on her regularly, and had relayed everything that had happened on to Henry and Bendy. The idea of them knowing wasn't very pleasant, but it was better than them not knowing. She was going to be trapped her for at least another day, maybe two. They didn't need to think she was had run away again.  
  
Due to her trepidation, she had finished her note for Dewey, the one she had promised him with a basic translation between Wyverian and Tunis script. She had given it to Alice to deliver, who had promised she would get it to him without it going through the Council's hands. Pippen had been very serious about that, and while Alice hadn't initially understood, once she mentioned Dewey, she had understood. The Society of Historical Knowledge did not like or trust the Council, or anything that passed through their hands. If it was something for him, than it could not be anything illegal given how strictly the Inkwell followed the law. It would be fine to pass it on to him.  
  
But that left Pippen alone, ignoring an angry but smug leprechaun who sat in the cell across from her. The one next to his held Barley, who was busy punching the wall in frustration, and fortunately not spending his time glaring at her. It seemed pretty stupid of him to be punching concrete, but she wasn't going to say anything and gain a second hateful stare. It was bad enough that the angels were giving her side eye as well, as if she were the criminal here. Compared to her, Charley was being treated like a prince. Maybe it was to lower his guard. Maybe not.  
  
She had spent a miserable night shifting and turning every which way in her uncomfortable cot. The sounds of the Sanctuary Prison, such an odd pair of words to put together, were too spacious, and echoed too much, and the sounds of the other prisoners made would wake her up. It didn't help that Charley had gone out of his way to make the night a living hell for her, bashing and shaking his bars at odd points in the night to wake her up. She was struggling to stay awake as it was, though she wouldn't risk falling asleep again, not while under Charley's malicious eyes.  
  
"-pen! Pippen!" Pippen jumped at Bendy's voice, her eyes snapping open. She hadn't even realized she had passed out again. It must not have been for long, or Charley would have taken advantage of it to torment her further. She slid off the bed quickly, running to the bars between her and the rest of the world, one of her hands closing around his, which was clasped around the bars. She quickly removed hers, flushing and mumbling a quick apology while he flushed and mumbled as well, both of them shifting awkwardly.  
  
"I didn't think you guys would come.." Pippen murmured, hanging her head in guilt, glancing nervously beyond the bars to where Henry was coming down into the hall s well.  
  
"Wouldn't come- Why wouldn't we?!" Bendy asked, looking at her in confusion. "You aren't here because of anything you did, you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Alice told us everything."  
  
"She did?" Pippen echoed, uncertain what the angel would have said. Pippen told the angels and police she had been bird watching, wandered a bit too far, and had come across the Butcher Gang by accident. That was what she had consistently told them, knowing how important it was to keep consistent. If they sensed inconsistency, it would give them a reason to hold her longer, and with how they were currently treating her..  
  
"Of course! The Council was going to leave us in the dark, but Alice got in contact with us after you were brought in. She's the only good angel in this joint, I swear." Bendy muttered, glancing back towards the doors to the rest of the building, glaring suspiciously towards it. He had to be careful. They were in the viper's nest, and he had a record with these people already. He wouldn't put it past them to try and take him in for some bogus reason.  
  
"I-I'm grateful she did.." Pippen murmured, though her head didn't rise. Instead, she rested it against the bars, close to Bendy's face, closer than she had ever put it before. A bit of heat rose to his cheeks, though he ignored it. Now wasn't the time for weird feelings. It was clear there was a lot on her mind.  
  
"Pippen? Are you OK?" Bendy asked softly, sneaking a glare towards Charley. Pippen glanced to him as well, finally noticing the leader of the Butcher Gang was asleep. It seemed even the wicked needed to rest at some point. Bendy continued to speak, voice soft but gaining a dangerous edge of venom as he regarded the leprechaun. "Did _he_ do anything to you?"  
  
"Other than shoot my shoulder?" Pippen asked tiredly, the Devil's eyes darting to her bandaged shoulder, concern and anger darting through his eyes as his tail lashed. The bandage was better than he would have expected the sanctuary to give her, given their type, but with Alice on the inside they could at least count on her for a degree of proper treatment. His hand gently touched her shoulder, concern coating his expression. She paused, a twist of warmth darting through her stomach. "No. He didn't get the chance to do anything else. The cops were pretty fast to show up after I ran into them.."  
  
"That's good." Bendy murmured distractedly, his hand still resting on her shoulder. There was a pause, before he quickly removed his hand flushing a bit. He turned back towards the Leprechaun, glaring at him again. "Stay away from him. After you get out, I mean. You can't really do anything now but I mean in general. He's no good, Pippen."  
  
"I know that now.." Pippen murmured, but quickly continued. "But.. thank you. For the warning. I'm grateful for it either way." She let her hand slip back onto the one that held the bars, the devil smiling a bit.  
  
Henry coughed after a moment, the pair jumping and splitting apart, the man smiling a bit at them. They coughed, shifting a bit in place, Henry letting the awkward moment hang for a moment before speaking up. He turned to Pippen, still smirking a bit "You should expect more visitors."  
  
"More?" Pippen echoed.  
  
"Yeah. I pulled some favors, and a couple of the others will be visiting you when we can't be here. We've heard some.. suspicious things relating to the sanctuary prison and those who aren't visited often." Henry admitted after a moment.  
  
"They.. I overheard the guards talking about how there don't have much info on me.. They seemed interested that I was or am a transient.. really interested." She paused, nervous. "There's no proof that I did any crimes but they're r-really interested in me.." Her hands returned to the bars, shaking them slightly, anxiety bleeding into her face.  
  
"That's what we feared." Henry murmured, Bendy's expression shifting to one of defiant determination. He wouldn't let them take her away, not without a fight! "That's why we are having so many people visit you. If they see enough people are watching out for you, it will discourage them from trying anything..." He paused. "That, and, once the news got out, a lot of our friends wanted to check on you either way. It's not everyday these things happen.."  
  
"They did?" Pippen murmured, expression uncertain as she looked up to him. They were probably intending to reprimand her for endangering Henry and Bendy, for taking advantage of them for so long while getting into so much trouble. "... I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry?" Henry echoed.  
  
"For causing more trouble." Pippen muttered, letting her head rest against the bars again, not meeting their eyes. "I.. I don't intend to, I swear, I'm not looking for trouble but I just.. keep bringing trouble to you. Burdening you with my problems.." She teared up a bit, guilt bleeding into her face. "And I'm not giving much back to you even though you've taken me in-"  
  
"You don't _have_ to give anything back to us, Pippen." Bendy cut in.  
  
"We took you in as our own choice. You needed help." Henry added.  
  
"Yeah." Bendy murmured, letting his head rest against the bars as well, touching hers ever so slightly. "It's fine. I've.. I've been here too, and for worst reasons Pippen. You do a lot more good than you realize. I mean, you're weird, but that's why we like you. Right dad?"  
  
"Yeah." Henry laughed, shaking his head a bit. "You're a good toon, Pippen. You aren't burdening us with anything. We're happy to help you because we're your friends, Pippen, and we care about you."  
  
Pippen looked up, wet eyes glittering with unshed tears, the imp refusing to cry even though her body wanted to. A soft sniffle escaped her as she looked away in guilt, aware of how much of a mess she looked like. Bloodied up, arm bandaged, bruised by her arrest, and on the edge of sobbing her heart out. It was only made worse when Henry called her a good toon. Because she wasn't. She wasn't a good toon, she wasn't even a good human. She wasn't sure _what_ she was, other than something in between, and not a good something in between at that. Good people didn't lie and hide things from people who trusted them, not for this long.  
  
"Aye." Bendy slid a hand through the bars, forgetting his father, forgetting the jail, forgetting everything but her for the moment. His hand slid under her chin, gently lifting it, the imp looking to him in surprise. He smiled a bit, warm and reassuring. "Chin up, Dollface. It will be OK."  
  
There was a small pause, Pippen staring into his eyes, sniffing softly. She let her chin rest against his hand, feeling herself calm a bit as a wobbly smile crossed her face, the imp nodding to him. "O-OK."  
  
He smiled a bit, hesitantly letting his hand slide away, before sliding on a mischievous grin. "Besides, you ain't got nothin' on the amount of trouble I've put dad through. How many times have we been here before, dad?"  
  
"I've lost count." Henry laughed, letting the moment pass without comment, though his eyes glittered with curiosity. It was an interesting development, to say the least. Maybe Bendy sympathized with her since he knew what it was to be a trouble maker, and the guilt some of that trouble could bring. "I mean, you've gotten better, but when you were younger? I swear we were in here every other day-"  
  
"Yeah." Bendy laughed, Pippen still watching him, expression thoughtful. She smiled back to him, more of a real smile than before. "They still know me by name, and I ain't been in here in a month of Sundays. When you get out, I'll teach you how to avoid this place like the plag-  
  
"Can you idiots, _pipe down!_ " A voice snapped from the cell across from them, Charley waking up now that they were speaking in louder, more upbeat tones to try and help cheer Pippen up. He sat up, rubbing a tired eye, which landed on the three with a glare. "Ah, well look what the cat dragged in. I should have known it would be one of your brats, Stein."  
  
"It's a pleasure to see you again too, Charley." Henry grunted sarcastically, though he crossed his arms to emphasize the strength that was still visible in them. It never hurt to remind the Leprechaun that he could repeat the outcome of the last time they had tangled. The gang leader glared, not missing the threat, though he didn't let it bother him.  
  
"And little Bendy too. Poor wittle Bendy, always needing his Daddy to come and save him." Charley mocked, his tone cruel. Bendy was beginning to flush with anger, but Henry held a hand out to stop him from approaching the other, recognizing the bait for what it was. If Bendy threw hands with a prisoner, than he would likely have his visitation rights revoked, which would only make both him and Pippen miserable.  
  
"I'm not the one who raised a traitor!" Bendy snarled, his tail whipping with anger. "A good for nothin' slime who turns his back on his friends!"  
  
"On the contrary, I raised Edgar very well." Charley coolly replied. "He saw his choices, and he choose the best one, loyalty to the gang that had always had his back. What could you offer him, other than your 'friendship'. Friendship won't keep him warm. Friendship don't fill your belly. If anyone failed at raising a young toon, it would be your dad."  
  
"Take that back!" Bendy snapped, trying to climb over Henry's arm, hands reaching furiously for the criminal. Henry held him back, not rising to the insult, but still glaring at the smug leprechaun. "Take that back you worthless crook!"  
  
"Bendy, no!" Pippen hissed, catching him from behind and pulling him to herself through the bars. It was sort of like a hug, except there were cold bars between them, the gesture immediately noticed. Pippen had never hugged him before, and in spite of the cold bars between them, she felt warm and soft, her arms wrapped around his midsection to hold him back from the Butcher Gang leader. He could hear her murmuring softly near the back of his head, to soft for Charley to hear, but loud enough for him, the sound amplified by his heightened senses. "He's baiting you. Everything he says is a load of trash and we all know it. He's just saying it because he wants to hurt everyone he can. Don't give him the attention he wants."  
  
Bendy paused, still fuming and panting with fury, teeth grit as he glared at Charley. Once he was calm, Pippen slowly released him, though she didn't move away and neither did he. Charley snickered, shaking his head.  
  
"What's the matter, Bendy? Got yourself a leash now, do you? Pretty pathetic, letting some girl boss you around." Charley snickered.  
  
Bendy turned away from him, no longer listening to his goading, though his tail lashed at what was being insinuated. Pippen wasn't bossing him around, she was watching out for him, like she always did ever since the day at the junkyard. She usually left him be and let him operate as he naturally did, until something came up to concern her. That was the only time she would interfere as she had in that moment. It was for his best interest that she did it. He could recognize that much.  
  
"He's supposed to be getting out tomorrow morning.." Pippen muttered, hoping it was some small consolation. She would likely be here for a day longer than that, or even a third if she was unlucky. But it would mean Charley wouldn't be there to inflame whatever history there was between the group and the Steins.  
  
"That crook?!" Bendy hissed, shaking his head in shock.  
  
"There was nothing illegal found in the sting from what I heard. They can't keep them here." Pippen answered softly.  
  
"But they can keep you." Bendy pointed out.  
  
"Yeah.." Pippen sighed. "They can't explain that either, other than wanting to talk, and needing to get my information into a 'database'.."  
  
"More like take advantage of a helpless toon." Bendy muttered, tail lashing. "Absolutely ridiculous."  
  
"It's life." Pippen shrugged. "At least, for now it is. All we can do is grit and bare it."  
  
"It ain't fair." Bendy muttered.  
  
"It isn't." Pippen agreed, looking down. "I wish it were different."  
  
"I-" Bendy began to speak, before a police officer turned the corner, grunting at the pair.  
  
"Oi, you two. Times up. Get going. We ain't letting you stay here all day, your making to much of a racket." The officer ordered, though it had been several minutes since the loud outburst that had taken place between Charley and Bendy. It was more likely that he wanted a nap, but couldn't while their were guests. It was fairly well known that the officers who were sent to work in the Council's personal prison were less than stellar.  
  
"Understood, officer." Henry answered amicably, putting a hand on his son's shoulder to prevent an outburst. This entire situation was foul, but they had no choice but to play by the current rules in place.  
  
"See ya later, Dollface." Bendy muttered guiltily, wishing he could remove the bars and bolt out of the building with her and his father. It felt wrong to leave anyone here, alone, with the current strange societal climate they were in.  
  
"Stay safe on your way home.." Pippen offered, flushing slightly at the nickname. She didn't protest it, however, and it didn't bother her. It was actually... pretty nice.  
  
  
==========  
  
  
"Again!" Glory ordered, pulling on the counterweight that would activate the makeshift obstacle course. It had taken several days, and more than a little help from the cup trio, but it was complete, and training could begin.  
  
The cup brothers, or rather Cuphead, had demanded to be trained to fight after he had shared a number of his battle stories with them, at their behest. It was of little surprise to him. He was a well traveled Stryx, and his scars did not begin to tell half of what he had seen and battled, or who he had battled with. A pair of youths on a small, peaceful island, with nothing to whet their will against, would of course devour such wild stories of clashing wills. Wild stories that were true.  
  
The islet they had built this training area on was one the ink brothers had guided him to during their first flight, after they had both gotten past the screaming and giddy laughter that had escaped them both at the start. It was small, and mostly deserted, residing just to the north of what Glory had been informed was called Inkwell Isle. Outside of a lighthouse run by a kindly old toon with a light bulb for a head, who was close friends with Elder Kettle, the island was empty of any unnatural fixtures. A perfect place for them to set up a private training area for the boys, with no concerns of island residents coming across them or interfering.  
  
Logs swung between the trees, simple magic projectiles, provided by one of Elder Kettle's charms, were flying, and there were stumps, ladders, walls and other manner of obstacle course goods present. The boys were doing well, though Cuphead would leap into action far to quickly, not evaluating the situation. Mugman, on the other hand, would get stuck in a pattern, dodging bullets or a log, but not moving forward, frozen by uncertainty. The results were obvious. Cuphead was getting rather battered, and knocked back frequently, where Mugman was trapping himself in one place.  
  
After several minutes, he pulled the counterweight again, deactivating the obstacle course. If they kept it up, Cuphead was going to break something, and Mugman was exhausting himself when he was only a quarter of the way through.  
  
"Come here." Glory commanded, his voice strict. They had quickly learned that battle training was not something Glory took lightly, even if they were doing simpler exercises and not actually fighting. Both ran up to them, Cuphead scuffed but grinning, while Mugman looked more uncertain.  
  
"Cuphead, you are still leaping too soon. Action is good, but you must focus on the present. You look ahead of yourself, but you do not look upon the area immediately around you enough, and you are suffering for it. Be mindful of your surroundings, and you will suffer far fewer injuries." Glory began. "Mugman, you must swallow your fear. I can see in your eyes that you have everything mapped out, that you have the timing of your obstacles down, but you are not acting. Do not focus on _how_ you are going to do _all_ of it, but on the next obstacle. Focus on doing that, and then doing again and again."  
  
"A-Alright." Mugman murmured, nodding and putting on a confident look.  
  
"You got to admit, I was doing good!" Cuphead argued. "I got even further than last time!"  
  
"And you took twice as many blows." Glory pointed out. "It is not just the distance you need to focus on, but preserving your body. In a battle, the one who wins is not only the strongest, but the one who can preserve the integrity of their body the longest. You may get in close and deal a number of powerful blows, but if you are taking as many as you give you will not last long."  
  
"Hmmph." Cuphead grumbled, crossing his arms.  
  
"..You are both improving." Glory offered after a moment, the pair looking up to him with hopeful eyes. "When we began, neither of you could even get onto the course, for fear or inability to determine what is coming. That is the most important and simple part of a battle, the ability to predict your opponent. While most will not be as easy or as repetitive as this course, honing your skills with these simpler actions will prepare you for when things become more complicated."  
  
"So there _is_ a reason behind all of this and you aren't just using this to keep us busy." Cuphead slowly questioned.  
  
"I would not have gone through the effort to put this together if it were a distraction." Glory grumbled. "I am honing your ability to react when under stress, and to react quickly and efficiently."  
  
"I mean, I understood why were doing it." Mugman offered.  
  
"I didn't." Cuphead muttered. "I mean, when do we actually learn to fight?"  
  
"You are learning to fight." Glory rumbled. "I have already explained this to you."  
  
"I mean _actually_ fight! With fists and kicks and cool moves!" Cuphead demanded.  
  
Glory sighed, shaking his head. "There is more to fighting that 'fists and kicks and cool moves'. It is more than that. It is a matter of wills and tactics. If you do not know how to work under duress, you will freeze, if you do not know how to see through your opponents tactics and respond to them you will fall under their fury. Finesse and skills come afterwards, as you define your fighting style." It didn't help that, as a Stryx, his fighting methods were considerably different from what the bipedal pair would employ. But he could guide them through the matter, guide them in learning how to use their bodies to defend themselves.  
  
Cuphead was silent, but clearly was displeased. He wanted to be an amazing fighter, like Glory had described, boldly facing down leviathans, chimeras, and beasts so terrible they had no names ascribed to them. He wanted to be the hero, rescuing villages in need from packs of wolves, outsmarting bandits and thieves, and claiming _fame_ and _riches_!  
  
"You must learn to stand before you walk, and you must learn to walk before you can run." Glory continued, changing his metaphor to work for a being who could not fly. It was constant work, adapting to what the two could and could not do, having always worked with other Stryx, or Pippen. He had never spent so much time with children on his own like this. Well, non-avian type children.  
  
Even then, he hadn't spent that much time with beings younger than him. They were such a handful, but being with them was.. surprisingly nice. Fulfilling almost. Watching them grow and improve, even if one they had a habit of smarting off. They weren't Stryx, and they weren't Pippen, but he found himself liking them, which was rare. If he were younger, he probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate them. Than again he didn't appreciate much when he was younger.  
  
"I already know how to run." Cuphead quipped.  
  
"Than you must learn to dodge and think ahead. Preserve your body, and you will be the victor in the battle. Do not fear taking risks, but do not take multiple needless risks. Chose your actions wisely." Glory instructed, pacing back and forth in front of them. "In a real fight, you will not have time to think on all of this, so you must use this time to learn it and memorize these important factors, when the stakes are at their lowest. When time comes for a true battle, you will thank your past self for this repetition. For at that time your bodies intuition will already be sharpened and able to respond quickly."  
  
"Now, shall we try again?" He stopped, looking to the pair.  
  
"Yeah!" The pair cheered, determined to make it even further than before. Glory was the first person, or being, to take their desire to be able to defend themselves seriously. Most people took one look at their heads, and signed them off as a lost cause. But Glory hadn't. He hadn't glossed over their weaknesses, in fact he had been a bit brutal in pointing them out. But then he focused on overcoming their weaknesses, sharpening their response time and their bodies, teaching them to respond t danger that would enure the moved their fragile heads away, and let their bodies take the blow.  
  
The bird flew off, checking the obstacle course over before reactivating it, leaving the pair to make their way through the course. They were doing better with his advice, but it was clear they had some ways to go. Their response time to danger was improving, as was their ability to observe their surroundings, but he couldn't shake the feeling they needed something more to give them an edge. Not all beings were meant to be purely physical fighters. Some, like his rider, employed a blend of magic and physical abilities, while leaning more into the former because of their physical restrictions. But he was no magic user. Maybe the kettle had something else up his sleeves.  
  
But for now, they had to focus on their bodies, on their natural skills. They had to work on their base abilities before they started to add more layers to the matter. But he did take note of the idea for later. It would be a while before he actually pit them into a real battle. If they were seriously injured.. It wasn't a pleasant idea, and he would rather they had prepared as much as possible before hand to mitigate anything that could come in the future.  
  
  
\--------  
  
  
Several hours later, and the boys had departed, bruised, tired, but proud. For the first time, they had both reached the end of the obstacle course, and they had done so together. With Mugman's foresight, and Cuphead's boldness, the pair bolstered each other and helped them overcome their weak points. They were learning from each other, but they were more importantly, they were _helping_ each other.  
  
It hadn't been something Glory had suggested, or even thought of. He had always been a solo fighter, save for when he fought beside Pippen. But even then, he had still been something of a solo act. He would follow her orders and attack who she said too, and perform specific actions if needed, but in the end he would be left to beat the life out of whoever his opponent was while Pippen dealt with whoever she was fighting. They were a 'team', but not a team like the brothers had begun to develop into. The lack of size difference helped their synergy considerably. That and how close they were.  
  
Glory had remained behind on the islet, no fear of possible discovery looming over him. Elder Kettle's friend, Mr. Static as the lighthouse keeper was apparently called, already knew he was there and would not bother him, keeping him a secret as per Elder Kettle's request. Turns out Mr. Static and he had once been on the Council of Object Toons together, and had a long standing friendship even before that. If Elder Kettle though it necessary, and safe, to keep Glory a secret, than the light bulb's lips were sealed.  
  
At the moment, Glory was leaning over the edge with his open beak in the water, tongue wriggling. It was a simple tactic, but an effective one, a fishing trick almost every Stryx knew. He had already caught two fish so far with the tactic, and was hoping to gain a third. It helped his current position kept his shadow from falling onto the water.  
  
"Well, well. What have we here." A sleazy voice purred behind Glory, the Stryx jolting in alarm. If anyone had come to the island, Mr. Static would have blown the horn he kept in the lighthouse. He always did so, as 'greeting' to those who reached his island, and to inform castaways they were not alone on the island. Because of the fact it was a known habit of his, the action wouldn't draw suspicion, and it would still act as an alert.  
  
Glory turned, not yet standing from his current position leaned over. He wanted to see what it was that dare approach him first before deciding his next course of action. The figure behind him was tall, perhaps six feet, with a wide shoulders. He wore a lavender waistcoat under a purple tailcoat, a bow tie of another shade of purple near his neck. His lower half was covered in dark purple pants, and fine purple shoes, Glory rolling his eyes a bit at the obvious theme.  
  
The speakers head was detached from his body, another object toon, like Cuphead and Mugman, though their heads were attached to their bodies. His was a large die, with a varying number of purple colored pips on each side like a common die, the 'one' side of the die appearing to be his face. A sleazy smile, all perfect white teeth, consumed the lower portion of his face, while his sea foam green eyes occupied the upper half, both half circles with a pie cut pupil and iris within. To the sides of the singular pip on his face was a stiff, thin mustache, carefully maintained and slightly shiny.  
  
"Quite a rare visitor to our little islands. A very rare visitor indeed." The sleazy voiced die continued, eyeing Glory with thinly veiled sadistic glee. With the right arrangement of words, he could get anyone into his masters hands, that he was certain of. This bird would be no different. "Say now, friend, how about you bring yourself down to the Devil's Casino and have yourself a _real_ meal? First meals on the house for such a fine specimen like yourself. And who knows, maybe you'll find a game or two that will catch the eye of such an intelligent looking fella like yourself. You look like a lucky bird."  
  
Glory raised a brow at his pitch, though he wasn't impressed by the die's words. He could knew a snake when he saw one, and when a stranger goes out of their way to litter their speech with that many compliments, they rarely had good intentions. He had heard of this 'Casino', though it was a single conversation he had overheard Elder Kettle have with the boys. He had warned them not to go there, for the risk was in no way worth the riches they would see but not gain. He warned of how it belong to The Devil, who was apparently called ' _The_ ' because he was the strongest of all devils.   
  
"I have no interest in your 'casinos', dice man." Glory rebuked, snorting at him. "I am not so pathetic that I can not catch my own meals and must have them handed to me as charity."  
  
"Oh, my dear sir, you misunderstand! I did not mean to insult your capabilities, but offer a degree of hospitality. I am sure you will find our casino is most intriguing, and will have sights even one such as yourself can appreciate. In fact, anything your heart could possibly desire. We aim to please and leave an everlasting impression on our dear guests." The dice continued, unperturbed by Glory's words. A bit of a rough and tumble fellow, but everyone had their weak points. All he needed to do was find the chink in the birds armor, and it would be in the bag.  
  
Glory snorted again, unimpressed, though he was vaguely intrigued. Anything his heart desired? What his heart desired was to return home, and for a good spar with his ranch mate, Lykos. There was no way this casino could provide that. Except.. Devil's and demon type toons typically dabbled in dark magic, which was the opposite of the light magic the Angelic Council had used to set up the barrier to Wyvera. If there were a way for him to harness such magic and take it back to the barrier to break it, without letting the sleazy die and his master learn of Wyvera...  
  
"I can see you need a bit of time to consider things." The dice continued, seeing this egg would need a bit more time before it may hatch. "I'm sure you've seen the entrance to our lovely little establishment on the far end of Inkwell Isle. It isn't too terribly far from here, actually. When you come, tell them King Dice invited you. I'll see to it you get the V.I.P treatment, Dracostryx."  
  
With that, his grin broadening as Glory's eyes widened he departed. The figure sprang up, crossing one of his legs over the other, his entire body twisting as he sank rapidly towards the ground, disappearing in a puff of purple smoke. Just like that, King Dice was gone, leaving a bemused Glory to consider his options, the Stryx staring at the spot the sleazy figure had vanished into. At least now he knew how he had gotten around Mr. Static. 


	11. Seek Glory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

"Hello?" Allison called softly, pushing her way into the abandoned mansion slowly. It had seen better days, the paint dull, the walls still standing but showing signs of wear and tear. The windows were mostly intact, save for a crack or hole, or completely missing thanks to a fallen branch. The interior was dark, dust and dirt coating everything, cobwebs hanging off of every corner and eave.

She noted that the dirt and dust had been wiped away from the foyer, ony where the majority of the outside light could reach. That was a recent change, and a specific one, the rest of the room shrouded in darkness thanks to the construction of the building, and the heavily wooded surroundings. In the years it had been abandoned, the forest had only encroached ever more on the building, shrouding it into denser and denser shadows. If there were footprints in the dust and dirt that remained, she would not be able to easily tell. Not without coming in, and possibly using a light source. Both would put her, and anyone else who entered, at a disadvantage.

It had been two days since the Angelic Council's visit, and since their encounter with the strange beasts and their riders. Two days of arguing back and forth with Thomas over whether she should investigate. She just wanted to know everything these humans, or human and strange companion, could tell her. How did they get here? Where had they come from? Why were they here? What was this about wanting peace? Was _anything_ the Council taught them about Humans anywhere near true..?

Allison swallowed her fear, walking into the building. A backpack and a sword were the most noticeably differences in her attire compared to the day the encounter had occurred. She wore another cotton shirt, a simple cream one that was a bit thicker than her other ones, and a pair of simple pants, her usual skirt atop that. The pants were for the extra safety against the brambles and thorns of the forest.

In her backpack were books, a carefully sealed canister of vegetable soup, a compass, a couple water bottles, and some dried jerky. The later food items were in case she somehow became lost within the twisting confines of the forest. The former food item was to entice the strange 'Impim' into a good mood. The sword had been her fathers, and was a simple short blade, nothing too large or imposing, but easy to use. He had taught her how to defend herself before his life was ended by illness.

She was fairly certain his end was caused by an extended period of trying to survive with a broken heart, plus his general seclusion. Her mother had died when Allison was a mere seven years old, and the loss had hit them both hard, though it had effected her father far harder. Her mother was the first and only toon he had ever befriended in Tunis, after years of confused wandering, uncertain how he had gotten to this strange land. She was the first toon who saw more than a horrendous monster before he could even open his mouth.

Her father had not gone outside much, especially after the lost of her mother, and as he grew older, fearing being sighted and hunted as a monster despite his kindly nature. He feared collapsing the lie Allison and he had constructed, of an ailing father hiding away from the world as his life wore away, wanting to be alone and not hamper his daughter from creating friendships and her own life. It had.. admittedly hampered her to a degree, having a strange, mysterious father who no one ever saw. But toons, especially older ones, were prone to odd behavior, and the alchemy business he ran, always avoiding showing his face, always paid the bills. That was all that mattered in the end, was that there was money for food and for the bills.

"Hello-?" Allison called again as she walked in, shrieking as something collided with her back. She felt furry hands on her, covering her eyes, as one set of talon like feet held her hips, helping her attacker keep their perch. There was no chance of her getting her sword, not with the weight on her back and arms, so she shook wildly, trying to get the cream colored hands off her face.

The attack lasted all of a minute, maybe less, before her attacker sprang off of her, cackling loudly. She twisted around, spotting the Impim, who was crouching like a tiger on the hunt, her tail whipping wildly as she smirked a wide, saber toothed grin at her. The Impim picked up one of her hands off of the ground to point at Allison, sitting up a bit as she began to speak, laughter still spilling from her. "Farmer lady scream good! Never even see Heart sneak and pounce! Heart is best sneak!"

"Heart." Luke's voice came from above them, at the top of a grand staircase at the end of the entry room. He muttered a spell and blue fires lit the candles along the sides of the room, casting it's light into the building, though it curiously did not go beyond the windows. Magic lights. More proof that the human was a magic user. "I told you to not bother our guest, if she showed up. I told you to only attack people who were clearly hostile."

"But farm lady has sword." Heart countered, pointing towards Allison's hip, only half caring to make an excuse for her actions. "That is threat!"

"That is clearly for her own self preservation." Luke countered, crossing his arms. "The threat to freeze you solid if you can not behave still stands, Heart. You and I both know I can talk Little Bird into working with me even if you are frozen, and if you report it to Pippen or anyone else from the ranch, they will deem it a reasonable action."

"Luke-boy is not fun. Heart not understand why she agree to bring Luke." Heart muttered, standing back up and walking past Allison confidently. "Luke boy always rules, rules, rules. Luke have no fun."

"I have plenty of fun." Luke argued, slightly miffed. "I have it in a reasonable way."

Heart muttered something, though it was indistinguishable, the sound lost to her massive fangs. Luke rolled his eyes as Heart found a dresser on the side of the entry hall to sit atop on, the Impim dangling her legs over the side. He started down the stairs slowly, talking his time. He didn't entirely trust this building, not yet. It had clearly been left untended for a long time.

"So you came. I'm surprised." Luke greeted as he finally reached the bottom. "If you're here purely in the interest of payment for the damage we caused, than we can sort that out as quickly as you'd prefer. I'd imagine the surrounding forest, and the building itself, does little to put you at ease."

"I- Well I mean, I directed you here." Allison offered, swallowing her nerves. Luke was more straight forward and to the point any of the Council's stories on humans would have one believe, and despite his strange eyes and tail, he didn't seem that threatening. "You repaired the damage you done, so that debt is technically paid."

"If you believe that is a proper payment for the damage done, than that is the end of that matter." Luke stated. He had partly expected a steep price for her silence, given the fearful and slightly aggressive response he had gotten from the pair upon his arrival. "And if that is what you believe of the matter, than that leaves me the question of why you have come. Your reaction to my presence did not suggest my appearance was one you or your husband or business partner appreciated."

"He's my husband." Allison answered, finding it odd that he thought to suggest she was anythng but his wife. She put it aside, and continued. "I- I wanted to know why you are here. How you got here- I- Humans aren't common to Tunis."

"I am here, as I told you, to keep the Impim in line." Luke answered, glancing towards Heart, who was lounging on her improper seating. "Though.. that is not the full story. And I suppose, since you came all the way out here, you will not be pleased with such a simple answer. We were not even meant to be here, if I am honest, but my companion insisted on following the one who was meant to come through on an important mission.. and I agreed, on the basis that we would ensure the first had gotten through safely, and return home from there. _Someone_ -" He glanced towards Heart at this. "Had agreed they only wanted to be the first Impim to _enter_ Tunis. The agreement was not for her to go running wild all over the land."

"Heart agree to nothing. Heart want to be first in Tunis. Heart is. Heart wanted to see more. Now she is." Heart declared, still lazily laying across the furniture.

"Than who was the first, and why were they sent here?" Allison demanded.

"The first was our.. boss." Luke paused, cocking his head a bit. "I'm not sure if I am in a position to give you their name. They are one of two heads of the ranch we both work on, and was selected by a person of high standing to bring a letter to the King of Tunis. While all of the details were not given, as is common when one is only the messenger, and not the message writer, we know it was a message that was meant to communicate a desire for peace. To begin making strides towards dousing the hostilities that still linger between Toons and Wyverians. Hostilities, I feel, are still present in Tunis as well. "

"They are." Allison agreed after a moment. "To Toons, humans are monsters. Untrustworthy, vicious, unnatural.." Her tone was pained, and Luke did not miss this, but did not pry. Not yet.

"That is what is said of toons in Wyvera." Luke hummed, unperturbed. "And I assumed that Toons would view us much the same. Though I wonder why. Is that something you question as well, Miss..?"

"Allison." She answered, giving her name. "My name is Allison. And.. it is. They.. The powers that be, the Councils, the schools, everyone of high standing.. no one can give us an answer. Most toons don't even think to ask. Humans are monsters. And that is the end of it..."

"But you know better from personal experience." Luke guessed, the woman pausing and nodding. "Just as we know from personal experience. As anyone who views humans or toons as more than what the general consensus currently is."

"You do?" Allison questioned, avoiding answering at the moment. "Have personal experience that is."

"Yes. I have known a full toon for years, and he is a good person. In fact, he is my other boss, the second head of the ranch. I know from my meeting with him that not all toons are monsters. And I know from logic that not all toons could be monsters, in personality or otherwise. Toons are as much a collection of individuals as are humans, hybrids, Fictivs, anthros, and any other living being." Luke answered.

"Hybrids? Anthros?" Allison echoed, glancing towards the Impim uncertainly.

"Yes. There are more divisions in the world than just Toon and Human, or there is in Wyvera. I can explain more in a bit, but first, I must ask, how do you know we are not monsters? How do you know I am not toying with you, playing with you, intent on entrapping you in something terrible?" Luke demanded in a quiet voice, watching her closely.

"Your eyes." Allison answered, Luke blinking in surprise. That wasn't something he was expecting. "Their strange, but I can tell there is no hostility in them. And you stopped your companion from attacking us, and made her repair the damage done to the field. A monster would not do that. And.." She paused. "I.. My father was a human. I know from being raised by him for years that not all humans are monsters."

"That is why you look so human.." Luke murmured. "And yet still so much like a toon. Fascinating. I know of one other, with mixed parentage, but her mother was the human, and her father the toon. I wonder if who is the sire, and who is the dam, effects who the child takes after the most?" He looked beyond Allison, rubbing his chin in thought.

"W-Wait, there's another?!" Allison demanded. "Another person like me?!"

"Yes and no." Luke answered. "As I mused out loud, the lineage of your parentage is slightly different.. and the person I speak of was not raised in Tunis. So, in a sense, there is a person who shares this unique trait, but you are still different."

"I'd.. I'd like to meet this person, if possible." Allison asked, still trying to process the thought of another being like her, who understood what it was to be caught between two warring identities.

"I'm not sure I can set that up. Not very soon at least. She.. Was the messenger. So she is currently outside our reach. I've decided it better we not try to contact her, until we are sure her mission has been completed, due to my.. companion." Luke answered after a moment, both glancing to Heart, who was asleep.

"But.. The mission will never be complete." Allison murmured, Luke's eyes widening slightly in concern. "You said the letter was for the king? He's been missing for ten years. The large Councils have taken over in his absence, and there was no heir to the throne.. They won't be interested in peace with humans. They're the ones who have been pushing the fear of humans even more, ever since the king vanished."

"That is.. concerning." Luke muttered, Allison raising he brows at the simple statement. He was so strangely controlled and calm, despite the concern and fear showing in the depths of his eyes. "That changes everything.. I.. We need to get in contact with her. She will not be pleased to know we have disobeyed her orders but.. given current circumstances she will appreciate our presence, I am sure."

"You said you are sealed in Tunis. That your path back is closed." Allison murmured, referring to the brief encounter on the farm.

"It is. So you have no need for concern of other humans or other Wyverians of a less than desirable ilk appearing in your land. The path has been guarded and hidden for years to ensure there was no attack or abuse of Tunis. But it was never sealed like this. I am not certain I can break it, not without severe repercussions. And I do not want to make any rash actions that may disrupt the messenger's task." Luke slowly elaborated.

"Did she have a strange bird with her, like you two do?" Allison asked, having decided she wanted to help them. They potentially held answers to so many of her questions and.. if they could foster peace between Tunis and Humans.. than another situation like her own, with her father trapped and hidden away for their own safety would not need to happen again.

"You mean a Dracostryx." Luke hummed. "They're known as Dracostryx, though they are both separate subspecies. She did. My Stryx is what is known as a Corva, while the one Heart rides is known as a Tyto. Our messenger was riding a Harpia, which is the second largest type of avian subspecies. If I remember correctly, Glory is around twenty.. five? I think, Twenty five feet in height, from the bottom of his talons to her head, when standing at a straight, relaxed position."

"T-Twenty-" Allison stuttered, Luke nodding. "I- I can't imagine how we haven't.." She paused. "Actually. Is this 'Glory' a black bird? With a golden beak and silver underside?" Luke nodded, eyes watching her intently. "Sven, the local drunkard the next town over, reported seeing a 'monster' like that over a month ago. He claimed it was trying to eat him, but.. well.. Sven says a lot of things."

"It is unlikely he would have attacked, at least not without being attacked first. He is an intimidating bird, but he is not stupid, and his rider would keep him in line." Luke countered.

"There was no proof that he was attacked, and other than a large feather and some talon marks, no sign of the bird beast. It honestly just looked like it landed there, and took off after Sven arrived and started shouting." Allison murmured, remembering how she and her husband had been in the next town over on business, and had been awoken while sleeping in the local inn by Sven's yelling.

"That is most likely how it went." Luke offered. "Pippen would not let Glory attack another being without reason, and she would not allow it when on a mission like the one she is on." He purposely dropped the evasiveness, seeing Allison as a potential source of help know. He and Heart could fly all over Tunis and never find Pippen or Glory. But with Allison, who could hear the local gossip and news..

"Is that her name? The one who is like me?" Allison asked curiously.

"Yes." Luke answered. "Her name is Pippen Clarke. If the king is missing, she will know this by now, and likely is trapped in Tunis as well. It was not to long after we entered that the way back was sealed. She is likely laying low.."

"I'll keep an ear out for her name." Allison offered. "What did she look like? I.. Humans.. she will be having a hard time depending on what she looks like." Luke slowly began to describe the head of Sunna Ranch, the other toon nodding. "She.. She might be able to scrap by. Like I am. I don't know. It depends on who she is interacting with."

Allison paused in thought, before continuing. "Though.. I wonder if her father's side will show more strongly while here. Demon type toons have a.. unique kind of magic. I've heard rumors they are supposed to be very 'adaptable' since they travel beyond Tunis in some cased but.. No one ever explains what that means."

"That is an interesting thought.." Luke muttered. Pippen had always wondered if her father's side would become even more prominent, like it had around puberty. At least, according to her more of his side had shown through with puberty, though she hadn't explained it outside of her horns growing larger. Apparently they had been very small, almost small enough to hide in her hair if done right. The growth had nixxed that, and she had stopped hiding them, reaching a point where she was tired of hiding it.

"I must beg your pardon, Allison. It's been terribly rude of me to have you stand for such a long conversation but.." Luke began, pausing for a moment. "We.. haven't set up a space I would feel confident to invite you into. We are wary of the flooring as it is, and I would rather not send you careening into the lower levels in my attempts to be polite."

"Oh, Oh no, that's OK! We just got so into this conversation, I didn't even notice. It's OK." Allison quickly reassured. "I.. I can come back later, after you two have a chance to settle in further. We can talk more than. If I don't return before night fall, my husband will be very concerned..." She glanced out towards the dim windows, cursing her misfortune. She had taken so long to remember how to get to the mansion that she had cut into their discussion time.

"I would imagine that is best.." Luke murmured. "I would rather I could offer to go to your farm, for the sake of politeness and ease of your travel, but I feel that is not the safest option."

"It isn't, I'm afraid. We're a bit out to the side, but we still get surprise guests occasionally." Allison agreed.

"I will try to have the mansion in better condition when you next visit." Luke murmured. He looked back up the stairs, whistling a quick, sharp note. The brown and black bird with blue feathers on their throat appeared, the crow like dragon bird confidently making his way down the stairs. Luke turned back to Allison. "Icarus will ensure you return to your farm safely. He will walk back with you. There are few beast who will tangle with a Dracostryx, and fewer who will get very far thanks to his ice breath."

"Oh-" Allison murmured, eyeing the Corva uncertainly. "That's very polite of you.."

"Do not be concerned." Luke tried to reassure. "Icarus is a very reasonable and polite bird. He is better mannered than Lil Bird. He will see you to the edge of the forest and return without being seen."

Icarus approached, performing a small, polite bow, Allison blinking in surprise before smiling a bit. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She would rather walk home than be carried either way, since she wasn't very confident in her riding abilities. Not yet at least..

"Oh. I brought this. As a peace offering." Allison quickly pulled out her container of soup, offering it to Luke, who took it. He blinked in surprise, gratitude spilling onto his face.

"Oh. Thank you. I didn't think we had done anything to deserve such generosity, but I will gladly accept it." Luke murmured, a small smile crossing his face. It was the first time the youth had smiled during the conversation, breaking from his monotonous, carefully neutral expression. "Thank you for your kindness, Allison. Icarus will see to it you get home safely, and in due haste. We wouldn't want to cause friction between you and your husband."

Allison smiled as well. "Thank you. For humoring all of my questions. I'll come back as soon as I can. Maybe I'll be able to help clean up a bit.. It's always felt like a shame this old place was just sitting here abandoned." She paused, before turning for the door. "Thank you again, Luke. And take care."

"Take care, Allison." Luke echoed, watching as Icarus paced alongside the half toon, clutching the small gift to himself as if it were treasure. In a sense, it was. At least, to him it was. A small sign of peace, and of hope. The truest of treasures.   
  
  
===========  
  
  
Pippen sighed as she walked out of the Sanctuary of the Angelic Council, glaring back at the building in annoyance. Her shoulder still stung, the bandage recently changed thanks to Alice, the wound mostly healed shut, though it still needed a bandage. Speaking of Alice, the angel stood next to her, a determined look on her face. She had been 'assigned' to Pippen as a temporary guardian angel. Pippen had been deemed a 'toon at risk', and as such Alice was meant to 'guide' her into being a better toon.  
  
While she didn't mind Alice as a person, the idea of having her watching her nearly twenty four seven was unnerving. Not to mention, it was going to make it extremely difficult to get into contact with Glory. A 'Guardian angel' was meant to trail their assigned toon and act as a speaking 'good conscience'. Simple, easy, but if you had something to hide, or business an angel would not approve of, it made life far more difficult.  
  
She could _ditch_ Alice but.. It would reflect poorly on the angel, who was so eager to prove herself to her superiors. Pippen couldn't do that to her, not in good conscience. At least, not too often. There was going to be a point where it was unavoidable. She needed to get in contact with Glory, and she didn't want to risk speaking beast tongue in front of Alice. She trusted Alice, but she had a habit of reporting to much to her bosses, or so Bendy had warned when he found out about the set up the day prior.  
  
"So, I imagine you'd like to go home." Alice began, giving Pippen a friendly smile. She was still as sweet and kind as Pippen's past encounters had shown her to be, and Pippen couldn't help but smile back, sighing a bit.  
  
"Yeah. I just.. want to go back to my own bed." Pippen mumbled, eyes tired. Even after Charley and Barley had been released, she hadn't slept that well, her anxiety ensuring she remained always partly awake.  
  
At least she had gotten visitors, like Henry had promised. Those had helped to alleviate the stress and fear quite a bit. And, unlike her initial estimation, none of them went after her for endangering Henry or Bendy. They were just concerned for her, for her safety, and upset with the unfair treatment that was so blatantly present in this situation. It had certainly deterred the eyes of the Angels and their ilk once enough people began to show up.  
  
First had been Wally, partly seeking the scoop on what went down with the Butcher Gang, and partly there to check on her. He had fumed over the fact the Butcher Gang was released, and so quickly, while suspicion was heaped on her, regaling her with all manner of rumors about the underhanded business of the 'holiest' of councils.  
  
It seemed the Angelic Council had a great deal of dirty laundry, so much so they couldn't hide it all. And a lot of it connected to the Scientific Council, though the rumors were unsubstantiated.. They were unnerving none the less. Whispers of terrible experiments, kidnapped toons, vanished away for ever, unknown angels abruptly appearing from nowhere. Not children, but full grown adults, empty vessels blindly following the Council.  
  
Wally's visit had not been very comforting once he got down to the gossip, but he was fortunately interrupted by the second visitor, that being Norman. She wasn't surprised that the second nosiest toon of the outskirts of Silvi city was her second visitor. Fortunately, he worked to undo the terror Wally had begun to instill in her, balancing out the rumors with facts and with what was unsubstantiated or came from undependable sources. He was surprisingly nice as well, asking about her injury and if they were treating her well, and informing her of what lines they could not cross. Not legally at least.  
  
After them, she had been visited by Boris in the afternoon, the pair talking more on their hobbies. It helped to distract from the current situation, and what she had learned, and Pippen was grateful for it. They had mostly talked about his sheep, and what the had been up to, while Pippen peppered small tidbits of carefully curated information about her Stryx, disguised as common birds in her words. It had been a nice, calm meeting, and he had even managed to sneak in some of his mother's cornbread in for her, something she had eagerly accepted.  
  
The next day, she was greeted by Dewey of all people, who was clearly uncomfortable being in what he viewed as 'enemy territory'. The Angelic Council worked to hide and obscure the truth of Tunis' past, and for that he viewed the majority of them as enemies. He had thanked her for the letter, and then provided her with a very interesting proposition. A job at the library. She would be an aide on paper, but the real job was helping him translate the many books written in Wyverian.  
  
He was paying _very_ well, and while she did not realize this, he was also very interested in _her_. She, who bore the knowledge of a forgotten language, and possibly so much more. A job at the library would make her look very legitimate by the measurements of the Angelic Council, and help her lose Alice as her assigned Guardian faster. She was really considering the offer, since she _did_ want money, particularly to help pay for bills and the like in the Stein household and to feel a bit more independent.. though she was wary of what she might translate. But.. she wanted to know what was in those books as well.  
  
The inkwell had left her to consider her options, and she had debated the matter for much of the day, until her last two visitors appeared. While she did not know them well, having only met them in passing, Susie Campbell and Sammy Lawrence had visited as well. Part of it had been at the behest of Henry, and part of it was as an act of goodwill on Susie's part, who was concerned for the young imp. Sammy was just there to support his girlfriend, as uninterested as he was in the imp. They had managed to put on a show of amicable friendship during the talk, hoping it would deter any funny business from the angels.  
  
In between all the visitors, as frequently as he could manage, Bendy visited as well. Sometimes he had Henry with him, sometimes he did not. Seeing him always brightened her day a bit more, something she no longer bothered questioning. They talked about everything they could think of, or at least everything the Angel guards would not be able to use against Bendy to try and take him in as well. He mostly behaved himself, though he couldn't help but glare back at the angels that glared at them when they passed, tail lashing with distaste. Pippen didn't fault him for it. They were being unnecessarily cold and rude, and it was starting to wear down her patience as well.  
  
Fortunately, the constant visits seemed to ensure her safety, as she was standing outside as a semi-free toon once more. Sure, she had an Alice tag along, but she could manage that.. hopefully.  
  
The pair started down the street, the sanctuary being within the city but on the edge. Pippen shifted with unease as they continued, every honk of a horn or squeak of a tire setting her nerves on edge. It brought up a major issue with Dewey's offer, and that was the position of the library. She had only managed to get into the city and to the library with Bendy and Henry's help, as embarrassing as it was to admit. She, who had faced down beasts a dozen times her own size, feared the city and it's cars, which were controlled by being typically near her size, and usually not seeking a fight.  
  
"Still have a bit of trouble with the city, huh?" Alice murmured sympathetically. She was walking on the side closest to the road, providing Pippen a buffer between the road and herself. At least it was a bit past midday, so the city wasn't as packed as it would be during the morning and afternoon rush. Maneuvering was a bit easier to do, and eased thanks to what Bendy had taught her the few times she had gone into the city.  
  
"N-N-No.." Pippen sputtered, shame crossing her face.  
  
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. The city is a scary place. All of us are afraid of it, deep down. There's just so many things that could go wrong." She paused. "The key word being _could_. But they don't. So we continue our lives. Silvi city is a bit of a difficult place to adapt to, but not too difficult."  
  
"I guess." Pippen muttered, shame still showing in her voice and face. She just didn't trust cars, especially ones aimed towards her direction, and that fear was so deep she avoided general public transportation where she could. The few times she had been on a bus was thanks to Henry's gentle encouragement, and a bit of teasing and coaxing on Bendy's part. She hated the noise, the slight tremble of the metal frame around her as the engine rumbled and grumbled, the tight spaces, the impolite and zoned out people. She had ridden public transport in Wyvera, there were carts for rent and the like, but people were generally polite and tried not to invade one anothers space too much..  
  
"I heard you were offered a job at the library." Alice continued. It didn't surprise Pippen she had heard. There was no privacy when you were a prisoner. "That is a very good thing, you know? I know it will be difficult at first for you to get through the city, but it will help you overcome your fear, and I will be there to help you too. And you will have steady employment, something you expressed desire to have before."  
  
"Yeah.." Pippen murmured, uncertain. "I just.. Don't know. Dewey is.. a bit intimidating, and if I fail to come in on time.. If I'm late.."  
  
"I could talk to him for you." Alice offered, her tone encouraging. "Dewey, despite his outer appearances, can be quite understanding. I am sure he and Ms. Buttercup will not hold it against you. You are trying to heal, and we all need time, and a position at the library will give you a reason to face that fear."  
  
"I guess you're right.." Pippen offered in turn, considering her options. She really did want that job at the library, which seemed the best point for gathering information. Dewey's insistence that they may find the secrets of their history.. History Tunis and Wyvera shared.. It felt important. And it gave her purpose, and helped possibly work towards the original goal of Mistress Agatha's letter. But most importantly, she could start paying Henry back for all his kindness. "I-If you think they won't mind, I guess you talking to them would be OK."  
  
"I'd be happy to help." Alice chirped, smiling a real smile, and not the false smiles Pippen had seen other angel's plaster on. She was just legitimately a good person, Pippen realized.  
  
"Thank you." Pippen murmured, stomach churning with guilt. She was already trying to work out a way to ditch Alice, at least for thirty minutes, maybe more, so she could get ahold of Glory. They needed to find out where that Corva had come from, and Glory would be able to do so unhampered by watching eyes. He would be able to work out the Corva's route and where to pin him down and get their answers. The other bird would not stand a chance against a trained fighter like Glory. Not that she desired their death, she just wanted the information.  
  
"You're welcome, Pippen." Alice hummed happily, delighted by how easily things were going already. Part of her had feared that Pippen, like a portion of the toons assigned guardian angels without asking for one, would rail against her presence and make things a living hell, but so far they were getting along swimmingly. Pippen was a bit subdued, but Alice imagined that was due to her recent incarceration, and the injury she still nursed.  
  
While she had been keeping an eye on Pippen during her incarceration, she couldn't help but notice just how often Bendy had visited. He was a good toon, with a good heart beneath all the mischief and trouble making, but she hadn't expected him to visit that often. Maybe it was because of the rumors about things happening to certain kinds of toons who were left alone in the Sanctuary Prison, a rumor she couldn't confirm or deny due to lack of information.. but she couldn't shake the feeling there was something more, even if the pair had not yet realized it themselves. It was an interesting development to say the least..  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
Several hours later, and Pippen found herself resting in her room, nursing her aching arm. Bendy was out doing something with Boris, which oddly enough made her feel a bit disappointed though she shook it off, and Henry had to leave for his part time job a bit after Pippen had returned. He had been happy to see her again, and accepted Alice into the home easily. She could hear Alice cleaning up a bit, helping with the chores Pippen would usually do but could not due to her shoulder wound.  
  
Now would be as good a time as any to sneak out on Alice, and get ahold of Glory, but Pippen couldn't bring herself to do it. Alice had put so much trust into her, and she was so eager and happy, and Pippen couldn't bring herself to shatter Alice's faith in her. She was such a sweet angel, and the thought of doing something to make her question her views on other toons, which differentiated form the core ideology of the Angelic Council so much, made her sick. That and her aching arm made the idea of climbing out and around through he woods made it pulse with preemptive pain.  
  
Her eyes were closed as a soft tapping came from the window, making them snap open as she jolted back to full awareness. Glory was carefully crouched by the window, head peeking over the ledge of the window to stare at her intently. The imp quickly got up, unlocking and opening the window as quietly as possible, eyes wide with alarm.  
  
"What are you doing here?!" She whispered to him in an alarmed hiss.  
  
"I need your permission to take four of the gold tokens and some of your baubles." Glory answered softly, referring to their Wyverian currency. Pippen blinked, totally confused by the odd request.  
  
"What- Why?" Pippen demanded, carefully keeping her voice down.  
  
"For information hunting." Glory answered. Before Pippen could open her mouth, he continued, dropping the worst part onto her. "I'm going to a casino."  
  
"A _WHAT_?!" Pippen snapped, voice raising a bit, before quickly lowering it, glancing nervously towards her bedroom door. It sounded like Alice was still doing the chores she had offered to take over, and was still busying herself with it. She turned back to the bird, glaring. "Glory, I raised you better than this! How dare you-"  
  
"I do not intend to bet away everything we own, mother." He snapped. "I am going to play it with care. There is a potential lead for a way to break the barrier between Tunis and Wyvera, a slim potential but it is there. I will scrape off the Wyverian seal on the tokens, and I'm not even sure they will take the baubles, but I do not feel comfortable going in without something to offset any potential 'debts' they try to pin on me through conniving means."  
  
"If it's that sleazy a location, than why are you going?!" Pippen hissed, wincing as pain lanced through her shoulder again. "And I need you for something else. For a fight."  
  
His eyes glittered with interest, the bird listening intently as she described the situation with the strange Corva, and the gang the worked for. Pippen finished after a couple minutes, still watching the door nervously. "Avoid contact with the gang itself. Their leader has a gun, and you are not bullet proof. Pin him alone if you can, and get as much information you can out of him as to how he got here. We need to know if there is more than one way into Tunis and stop it from being abused. By the way, try not to murder anyone during this venture. I'd prefer we not spill blood if it can be avoided."  
  
He eyed her shoulder for a moment, releasing a long gusting exhale. "Fine. I will not seek retribution on these beasts. Not now at least. but perhaps in the future.."  
  
"Glory." Pippen muttered in warning.  
  
"I will need several days at most. I will send Redfall back with the information I get, and if it is sufficient I will not proceed with my plan. If it is not, I will." Glory concluded, eyeing their surroundings nervously. The longer he stayed, the higher the chance of discovery became.  
  
"Fine. Fine. But i swear, if I find out you bet more than you own, or your own soul, I will pluck every feather from that stubborn head of yours one by one." Pippen hissed, displeased by the idea of him going into some viper's den willingly.  
  
"It will be so. Keep your ears open for Redfall." Glory finished, carefully obscuring any signs he had been there before hastily stalking off to the forst once more.  
  
"Oh Glory.." Pippen murmured, leaning into the windowsill, watching him vanish. "I hope you know what you're doing.."  
  
  
  
=========  
  
  
It was several days after the boss's release that Finnbar found himself flying jobs once more. Charley was confident the imp who had interfered with the last job would not be messing with them again any time soon. Not after taking a bullet to the shoulder. Those kinds of wounds wouldn't heal as quickly as his knife wound had, and he had over heard the brat, Pippen, promise to the other two dolts she would stay away from them. No matter what she knew about Finnbar's species, she wasn't going to be getting in their way.  
  
So, Finnbar was back on the job, running quick smuggling jobs between the city and several key locations outside of the city. It was simple, but Finnbar took pride in his work, delivering things swiftly, and without being followed. Save for the one incident but.. Pippen was an exception and not the rule. She would not be there to hamper his perfect record again. The boss had made sure of it.  
  
The Corva flew with confidence, his goods tucked beneath him as he flew, wings beating hard to ensure he stayed in the air. This was another job that had him carrying a weight just within his limitations, but he was not going to let that stop him. He would not fail the gang. He would make Edgar proud, and by extension he would make Barley and Charley proud. He would prove his worth to the gang.  
  
Those thoughts were all he was focused on as he flew away from the western portion of the city, unaware of the dark shadow lurking beneath him. He kept his eyes above him, and on his sides, where he expected an attack to come from, but his luggage meant he couldn't see below him that well, and he didn't look down that often. Attacks always came from above.  
  
At least, that was what the young Corva believed, right up until he was attacked from below, an incredible weight latching onto his pack. He squalled in alarm, wings flailing as he helplessly tried to stop the death drop he was now locked in, something dark and large holding his goods. Even so, Finnbar refused to let go, to accept a potential failure, to fail and disappoint the entire gang. He. Would. Not. Fail.  
  
That conviction was his downfall, as they plummeted further and further. The pack was abruptly released, the attacker breaking off, but it was too late for Finnbar to regain control of the flight. All he could do was try and make this into a controlled crash and minimize the damage done to the goods, his straining muscles screaming at the abuse. He and his goods crashed into a forest clearing, the crow just barely managing to soften the landing, dropping the goods onto a pile of thick moss as he careened over them, crashing into a nearby tree.  
  
He slowly picked himself up, wings drooping with pain as he turned to eye the situation, heart heavy. He hadn't heard anything break, but there was no telling for certain until the canvas bag was removed. This would be a black mark on his record for sure.  
  
A screeching croak escaped him as he was slammed into the tree, pinned to it's roots by something massive and dark. He beat his wings wildly, finding a set of talons around his windpipe, and the other catching his legs and pining them to the ground. His tail was still loose, but with the position he was in, the leverage it provided was minimal, and the most he could do was batter the other attacker weakly. Without his talons, his beak, and without his flexibility, he was severely limited and terrified.  
  
"Now than." The dark figure above him spoke, Finnbar's cream and gold eyes finally focusing, the haze of terror falling away. The one who had pinned him was a Harpia, black with a a silver underside, silky coat and tail, flesh littered with battle scars beneath his feathers. He had clearly seen more years than Finnbar, as well as far more battles. He was what had coast Finnbar his near perfect record. Finnbar's crest flicked up and down with all the emotions he couldn't find another outlet to express them, the Corva's chest wildly rising and falling.  
  
"I'm going to ask you some questions, Corva, and you will answer them honestly. Do not screw with me." The other's beak snapped close to his face as a warning, Finnbar flinching away. They withdrew their beak, pale golden eyes staring down at him. "How did you come to be here?"  
  
"I-I'm on a job! I'm just a mail delivery Str- _YIIE_!" Finnbar began, screeching as the sharp beak snapped dangerously close to his right eye, the talons on his throat tightening.  
  
"Do not take me for a fool, hatchling." The other Stryx hissed. "I know you work for those criminals, the Butcher Gang, and I do not care what business it is you do for them. I want to know why you are _here_ , in this country. How did you get here? There is supposed to be only one path into this land, and yet here you are."  
  
"I-I don't know what you- _Argh_ \- Alright. Aright." Finnbar squawked, his voice strained as Glory applied pressure to his throat. "I don't know what it was- NO DON'T, I'M EXPLAINING. OK? OK. I was flying over the eastern seas, near Moonli. Heard there was good fishing there. Didn't find much. Flew for too long and started getting exhausted. I turned back for the land, but all I saw was the shimmery area past the mountains, where all the land is dark and dead. I was desperate, and I saw a shimmery hole with land through it, but it was closing, so I flew for it and made it."  
  
"When I recovered, I was here." Finnbar answered, coughing and hacking around the other's talons. "I-I just made the best of it. People were afraid of me the moment they saw me, so I scared them for food. Everyone ran, 'cept Edgar. He gave me food of his own accord. He's my friend. Please. Don't hurt him. He's a good spider. Please."  
  
His assailant stared into his eyes for a long time, leaning over him to apply the intimidation onto the younger. By his estimate, Finnbar couldn't be more than a year and a half, given his stage of development and the foolish mistake he had made flying over the sea without precaution, or a companion with better stamina. Finally, he released Finnbar, the Corva quickly scrambling up and putting some distance between himself and the other. He was certain now it was a Harpia Stryx, and an older one at that, healthy and well trained.  
  
"Very well." Glory grunted, his voice pitched low and threatening., staring the nervous Corva down. "Stay out of my way, and keep word of our homelands to yourself, hatchling. If I learn you have spoken of this encounter to _anyone_ , I will find you and tear the tongue from your quivering beak. Return to your work, and to your wretched masters."  
  
Finnbar bristled at the comment about his gang, though he did not have the confidence to say anything or do anything about it. There was too much of a power gap, and while most Stryx knew how to overcome that gap with skill and other attributes, Finnbar was untested and untrained, and had never actually fought in his life. Once upon a time, he had belonged to a foolish human, but they couldn't keep him fed and was always leaving him on his own, so he left. But now he was here with masters he had chosen, masters who did not abandon him.  
  
The massive Harpia turned away from him, confident in turning his back to a foe in this situation, and stalked away into the shadows, vanishing in moments. He left without another word, leaving Finnbar to pick up the pieces of his delivery and his pride.  
  
  
\-------------  
  
  
_"You sure about this, Glory?"_ Redfall muttered, nervously tucked into the thick collection of feathers around Glory's neck. He was well hidden, but could still murmur warnings and information to him without being noticed, if they took care. Along his neck was also a string purse, jingling softly with the defaced tokens he had taken from Pippen's personal funds, as well as the baubles. He wasn't sure if the lesser currency would be accepted, since the moonstone and sunstone based spheres were a currency unique to Wyvera, but it was worth carrying them with him just in case. The Tokens would likely be no issue, as the coins were pure gold, and gold was valuable no matter where you were.  
  
"I am." Glory rumbled. "The only counter to light based magic is dark based magic, and this is the most likely place to find a lead to dark based magic that could be powerful enough to break the barrier." He shook himself, fluffing his feathers out. It had been another two days before he enacted his plot to go to the Casino, allowing Pippen to process what information Finnbar had provided. He was a flash in the pan, a random chance happening, and not a viable way to go home, or a threat to Tunis. They couldn't control the randomly opening wormholes along the Bad Lands. Though it was the first they had ever heard of one opening to Tunis.  
  
_"But this place feels.. Sleazy."_ Redfall muttered, looking up towards the sign over top the cave entrance. He had learned Tunis script, right alongside Pippen, and so he could read the bubble letters and the arrow. The bubble letters were 'W E L C O M E' while on the arrow it read 'Casino Entrance'. At the ground it read 'TRY YOUR LUCK' between each star. He didn't like the look of any of this at all.  
  
"It's a casino. They're all sleazy." Glory grumbled, walking down the stairs into the cave. The path opened out into a massive cavern, the casino straight ahead. It was an elaborate set up, a building with a wide oval wall surrounding it. Fine white marble topped with red made up the wall, the interior having small islands of dirt encased in in marble cases. a palm tree in each. More tropical plants filled the walls interior, the outside set up to look more like a resort than an actual casino. It was inviting, by humanoid standards at least.  
  
In the center of the oval wall was the building itself, the casino, with a large strange statue, a figure from the lower torso up, atop of it. The Casino sign was in front of the statue, and was shaped like a spade, with four cards in the center, one for each set type, facing out towards those who approached, with two on each side facing away from them. A half of a casino chip was to the sides of the sign the statue's hands holding on top of each half. Three tall spires were present around the building, while one stood prominently to the right, in a sectioned off area, this tower having a crown like top.  
  
_"Fancy."_ Redfall muttered, eying the decor, particularly the statue. What they could see of it was a round head, with thin pointed ears, and two curving white horns atop its head. A wide grin and a bulbous nose, eyes with a yellow sclera looking away mischievously. The arms were long, and curved around the other decor atop the building, and one of the towers, before reaching the chips.  
  
The path to the front door was lined with a red carpet, two walls covered in diamond patterned tiles lining the sides, a line of red dice on top of each wall. Lights lined the outer wall, lighting up before going out in a continuous line. The double doors were gold, while the walls around it were a dull grey.  
  
The pair made their way down the red carpet, Redfall tucking himself away into Glory's feathers once more. The Harpia trotted confidently to the door, eyeing the skeleton door man with his pale yellow eyes, rumbling in his throat to get it's attention. "You there. I was given an invitation to this casino by one 'King Dice.' Does his invitation still stand?"  
  
"Hmm, invited by King Dice, aye? Lotta folks claim that. I'll page the boss, but if you're lyin', this is your last chance to back out. It won't do you any good to lie and bother the boss like that." The skeleton hummed, waiting for Glory to back down. When he didn't, he shrugged, walking inside and disappearing into the dimly lit interior, the smell of booze and perfume wafting from the door. Glory pushed his way in, not intending to wait on the door step like someone's pet dog.  
  
The interior was all glitz and glam, the ceiling a deep blue-black, with white stars and constellations painted all over. Their were ivory columns and architectural decoration along the walls, and the ground was covered in thick, soft red carpeting, the room cut up into various areas for games, slots, and general loitering areas for socializing and getting drinks and the like. Smoke wafted through the air from the glowing tips of cigarettes, the red tips glittering like the eyes of the untrustworthy patrons within the building, who eyed the newcomer silently, or watched their games intently.  
  
"Well, well, our honored guest finally arrives!" A familiar voice greeted, Glory turning his eyes to the figure that walked up to him. King Dice still wore his expensive purple get up, a strong cologne wafting off of him along wit an air of absolute confidence. They were in his territory now, on his turf, and all the cards were stacked in his favor. Before him was just another foolish soul, full of pride, ready for the fall. All he needed was a push at the right time...  
  
"I have." Glory answered simply. "I decided to see what it is that makes you speak so highly of this place." He offered, tempering his words. That was what Redfall had suggested he say. Inflate the dice man's ego, make him feel all the more confident with his home turf advantage, and his belief he was toying with a common, foolish bird.  
  
"Well than, allow me to be the first to officially welcome you the Devil's Casino, the finest establishment Inkwell Isle has to offer." King Dice purred, no small degree of pride in his tone. It certainly was the fanciest, and had the most impressive decor, entertainment, and delights any living soul could desire. "If you'd follow me, I'll give you the grand tour and get you set up to enjoy your stay."  
  
He began to make his way around the establishment, Glory watching everything closely. He kept his head tucked close to his neck, letting Redfall whisper into his ear more easily, relying on the microstryx to point out any lies he caught from the die. After all, Redfall was far more familiar with the ways of humans and the other non-Stryx species, and in particular knew quite a bit about gambling, since he and a couple of the Corvas on the ranch liked to watch the gambling games down at the inn closest to the ranch. He claimed it was entertaining to watch, though Glory couldn't fathom how it was.  
  
King Dice showed them the buffet, which had a fine arrangement of food, including a hearty selection of seafood, a tempting delight for any Stryx. Glory bit back the temptation, wary of the prices they may demand for such food, and where his 'free meal' ticket would end. What he defined as a meal was likely nowhere near what the casino did, and even then they could set it to something far smaller. That was Redfall's first warning, and one Glory followed, despite the succulent fish flesh present before him.  
  
Next it was onto the 'games', though they were not the type of games Glory preferred. After all, he preferred matters where one tested your natural skills, your ability to hunt, to fight, to fly, where these were primarily games of luck. While he recognized luck as an important part of life, he did not like the idea of leaning into such a fickle attribute for a lengthy period of time.  
  
Craps, Poker, Black Jack, Slots, and so many other games were presented to him, his mind spinning with all the rules and numbers. It was fortunate Redfall had a head for such matters, guiding him through the games the Die insisted he join. Before long, one of his four gold tokens has been converted into Casino chips, which an aide was assigned to him to ensure they were transferred safely from game to game. Redfall and Glory kept a tight eye on the assistant, scarcely trusting him, or anyone else, in this joint.  
  
After some time, they began to dig for information, particularly when the dice man was not around, the manager making rounds to ensure the good will of his customers. He found some leads on sources of magical aid and the like, and rumors of some items that could be of help, but nothing that was of use that could be gotten from the casino. As he dug around for his information, using Redfall's constant advice to temper and sweeten his presentation into a less intimidating presence, his chip amount fluctuated, sometimes falling or growing dramatically. So long as they didn't reach a certain low point, than by Redfall's judgement they would be safe, and they could continue.  
  
It was as they began to watch the chips grow in number that a sneaking unease began to coil up Glory's back. No natural bout of luck could be claimed for the unnatural growth, and his feathers crawled with the feeling of eyes on his back. At one point, he scanned the room, his eyes stopping on a figure trapped in a cage, a very special game underway with them as the prize.  
  
They were an unusual figure, not one Glory would expect to be held for ransom in a place such as this. For one, they were male, a bit soft looking, but well muscled in places in such a way that suggested he was not unfamiliar with hard work. The second fact was that he was very clearly an angel, sporting a halo over his short grey hair and a pair of gray and white wings. Given the Angelic Council's position in Tunis, he wouldn't have imagined anyone would dare to test their luck with them. But here he was none the less, a tattered loin cloth the only thing covering his 'shame'.  
  
Moths circled the cage as he watched, and not the usual cave moths he had become familiar with during his time in this den of thieves. Moths of silver and black, with white speckles upon their wings that gave the illusion of many eyes. There were only a few of them, but one drifted over to Glory, circling in front of him, and then to an open spot at the betting table. He sought a solution to the barrier created by angels.. so having one in his debt..  
  
"Grimble." Glory called, his assistant looking up to him. They were an imp, similar to Pippen, though their flesh was primarily blue, and they were more sharp angles than she was, a crown of small horns spilling across the back of his head. "I want to join that game. For the angel."  
  
"The angel?" Grimble echoed, his voice male but squeaky. "You sure, boss? I mean, you've got such good winnings going on here.."  
  
"I am sure." Glory rumbled.  
  
"Hold on there, pal." King Dice's voice abruptly cut in. "That table isn't just for anyone after all. We only let very.. special guests join."  
  
"You claimed I was a VIP." Glory stated with a raised brow, watching the die sweat a bit.  
  
"Indeed I did but.. typically that table is for our long time patrons, where we have very _special_ offers." King Dice continued, a slick smile crossing his face. "What do you intend to do with him, even if you were to win?"  
  
"I intend to return him to my young and feed him to them. I will use him to teach them the face of their enemy, and the taste of their blood, so they will grow with no fear of the ones they may fight in the future." Glory lied, not needing Redfall's prompting here. He could tell that they did not want the angel loose, not when they could cause trouble for the Casino.  
  
"Oh my, how old fashioned. It's interesting to see that some of the dragon family still hold to their old ways." King Dice chuckled, pretending to be shocked despite the smile on his face. There was no love lost for the angels in the establishment, and entry to the betting table alone was a steep price. It would help to deflate his winnings and put him in the mind of trying to replace what was lost, King Dice was certain. "You know what, I'll make a special exception this one time, since you are such a _unique_ and _special_ guest."  
  
"That is very kind of you, King Dice. I did not mean to disrespect your customs, but I am greatly interested in acquiring a living example of my foe." Glory hummed, King Dice smiling and nodding.  
  
"Oh, I understand, my good sir! Grimble, be a good lad and get this gentleman's chips to the table." King Dice instructed, the Imp racing over to the table before the game could begin. Glory walked after him, pale yellow eyes watching the situation quietly. There were a couple demons of types he could not name, but emanating considerable magical power, as well as a couple common toons, though their eyes were cruel and vicious. Whoever won the angel would win not just his body, but a contract that bond the angel to them, ensuring he could not flee their desires. Truly a terrible circumstance for the angel to fall under.  
  
As he approached the table, the pale toon looked up to him, glaring in defiance despite his terror. Glory kept his face neutral, though whispers of his desire to 'tear apart the angel' soon spread across the table as his imp assistant began to gossip with other workers. That pale face only grew paler, grey edged pie cut eyes nervously darting to him every few moments, while the toon announcer made a last call for the special raffle. The entry price was steep, draining much of Glory's funds, though it was of little concern to him. Now was a moment of chance and luck, as the strange moths gathered around the table. What was it that Galyx desired f him to do here?  
  
The raffle began, Glory choosing thirty three as his number, since the digits reminded him of moth wings. It was a moth that had brought him here, so by a moth he would gamble to see what fate would bring them.  
  
The fat imp began to fill a metal chamber with numbered balls, dropping the white balls into a device that threw them all around, the bottom forcing them to bounce, as well as other springs and the like inside. It put on quite a show, lights and sounds playing when the balls hit a certain area. Most of the sounds were designed to be silly with an edge of cruelty, one example being an angel's prayer followed by a yell of terror that sounded as if they had been dropped from a great height. The images that lit up were less than pleasant as well, intermingled with the normal 'fireworks' and sparkle lights.  
  
After a painfully long time one of the balls abruptly launched from the pack, hitting the top and into a chute that went around the device, curling around and around, the tube solid to hide which sphere was inside. It was finally deposited at the bottom of the device in a little tray, the fat imp turning the sphere forward to face the crowd.  
  
"97! Do we have a 97 here?" The fat imp called. No one stepped forward and the figure shrugged, pitching the sphere over his shoulder and starting the device once more. Glory bit back a groan, shifting with impatience as the annoying show began once more, the sounds and lights even more annoying to him on a second round. Once more a sphere rolled out, and once more there was no winner.  
  
"All right than, one more go!" The Fat Imp called. "One more, and then the game is over till another day! Who will win this wretched angel?" He started the game once more. "Will it be the Succubi, seeking a unique member for her harem? Or perhaps the demon with the red eyes and antlers. Don't know what he's planning, but judging from the look in those eyes, it will be one hell of a show! Or perhaps it will be the giant viscous bird, who wants to take him away and tear him apart slowly! Who will win this wretched soul? Only fate knows!"  
  
The imp was so busy with his spiel that he did not notice the moths that slipped into the cage, fluttering along the top. As one sphere tried to enter the winner ramp, a moth collided with it, stopping it from going in at the cost of it's own life. Once more, another sphere, another moth, fate intervening in an unusual way. Finally came the third sphere, which nearly reached the top, only to begin falling. The final moth fluttered under it, the sphere colliding with it and _bouncing_ off of it unnaturally, flying into the winner tube. It was splattered with the moth's blood, but rolled on none the less, the small sacrifices going unnoticed by all but the angel and the Stryx.  
  
"Ew, it's all bloody! How'd that happen?" The imp muttered, wiping the blood off of the sphere. He held it up, grinning as he began to shout. "Do we have a 33 here?"  
  
"I am 33." Glory called, the angel paling once more as his deep, harsh voice rang out over the murmuring crowd. The fat imp blinked in surprise, since he was pretty sure this game was supposed to be set so no one could win, but shrugged and walked over towards Glory.  
  
"We have a winner!" The Fat Imp called, trying to ignore the confused glare coming from his manager, King Dice. "Glory the Dracostryx is the winner!"  
  
The angel paused at the Stryx's name, but the fear did not leave his eyes, staring at the massive bird that had pledged to tear him apart. Is this what the seer had meant when they told him he would find glory in his darkest hour, all those years ago? He knew he should not have trusted the strange, arm-less being, whose hands were birds with their heads replaced by a hand, in which a clock was embedded in each palm. Always smiling with it's sharp toothed, catty grin.. Than again, nothing the seer had said had effected the choices he had made that lead him here. He had made those decisions himself.  
  
Glory took the soul contract from the Fat Imp before the manager could reach them, King Dice trying to figure out a way to get the angel back. His boss would not be pleased by the loss of such an attractive raffle good so soon, and he did not understand how his rigged game had failed. He had designed it himself, and tested it multiple times! Only the spheres that were not picked out and touched by a patron would be able to reach the winner ramp, that was how the spell was designed. He stared at the dead moths at the bottom of the cage, fuming at the unpredictable variable, turning to where Glory had been standing.  
  
The bird was already checking out, getting his little remaining winnings converted to cash, the miserable angel forced to trail after him thanks to the soul contract. It hadn't been easy forcibly extracting that soul contract from an unwilling being such as he, and they had barely made back the cost of doing so with this single round of raffles. No matter how he racked his brain though, he knew he wouldn't be getting the angel back from the bird.  
  
"Pardon me friend, but before you leave, I have a bit of a proposition for you." A new voice cut in, deep and booming. The owner of the casino, the spitting image of the statue atop the building, had appeared. He was an unnaturally tall figure with long flexible limbs, dark, raggedy fur covering his form, save for his head, hands, and long feet. Those were a dull grey, except his head, which like his fur was dark grey, his toes and finger tipped in long white claws. Two grey-white horns sprouted atop his head, curving only ever so slightly, while two pointed tea drop shaped ears lay on each side of his head.  
  
The Devil gave Glory a wide sharp smile, his yellow sclera providing sharp contrast to the red edging his pie cut pupil. "Now, you've won your self quite a prize there, but I feel it is a bit ill fitting for one such as yourself. While that angel could provide you temporary pleasure, it will last for only that moment and be gone, despite how much you paid." He leaned forward, holding up a large grey stone, one that held a changing symbol on it and resonated with power.  
  
Glory's eyes widened at the strange breath stone, one that changed it's symbol between each type. A flame for fire, a snowflake for ice, lightning bolt for plasma, and a dark crescent moon and dot for shadow. The four possible types of breaths, the four symbols for each, showing on a single Breath stone, a stone that would normally awaken a Stryx's ability to use a single breath. Would it even be possible to have more than one breath awakened within a single Stryx safely?  
  
"This, however, will last you a lifetime, and make you into even more of a fierce some battler." The devil purred. "All I need is the angel.. and your soul. In return, I will grant you power no Stryx has ever had, and deliver to you as many battles your heart could desire, battles you will always win no matter the challenge. You will be the greatest Stryx the worlds have ever known." He held the stone closer and closer to Glory, who was breathing hard.  
  
_"Glory.."_ Redfall whispered nervously. He knew how much Glory coveted the breath skill he had been born without, and the lengths Pippen had gone to try and acquire a Breath Stone to bless him with the skill. It had ended in failure, but he had never held it against her, as much as the desire to have the skill consumed him.  
  
Slowly, Glory's breathing evened out, the bird closing his eyes.  
  
_**"No."**_ The Devil's lips fell into a frown at that single word, eye twitching in irritation. Glory opened his eyes, pale yellow eyes staring into sickly yellow and red. "It is unnatural for a Stryx to have more than one breath. Such a thing would surely become a curse, and not a gift. I can not accept this, nor can I give you my soul. To do so would be to turn my back to the gods and spit upon all they have given me."  
  
He twisted his body subtly, using his tail to push the angel towards the door, Grimble approaching with a sack of his earnings. He picked it up, setting it against the string purse along with the soul contract "I will return another time, when I have better funds and understanding to properly enjoy these games of yours. But for now, I must depart."  
  
"So be it." The Devil stated, putting on a false sweet face and tone ."We'll be happy to serve you when you come once more." He purred, already planning on ways to entrap the bird into selling his soul. There was always a way to break a person to such a point that they would do so, gods or goddesses be damned.  
  
Glory turned and swiftly left, sensing the daggers the owner was glaring into his back. Once they were outside of the building, he took off, picking up the angel by his loin cloth and flying out, ignoring his complaints. He flew for the exit to the cave, relaxing as they broke out into the night air. He set the angel down, ignoring the demands and threats coming from him as he planned his next move.  
  
"Silence." Glory snapped, the contract forcing the angel to shut his mouth. The Stryx turned to eye the casino entrance, listening for any pursuers. He couldn't be sure they were safe, so he turned to the angel, aware of the power he had over him. It was an uncomfortable, unnatural degree of control, one most slave masters could only dream of. "Remain quiet until I say you can speak. And do not struggle, unless you want to be dropped."  
  
He picked up the angel again, flying for the mainland, keeping his eyes on the area behind him. There was no signs of pursuit, but he did not stop until they had passed over the farmland before the mountain. By now it was nearing dawn, the sun slowly peeking up out from the horizon. He was still early enough to avoid being seen, though he realized now that the angel's halo was a beacon to anyone looking to the sky. He picked up the pace, flying faster.  
  
Once they reached the cave he could feel the angel begin to tremble with terror, the helplessness of the situation setting in. Glory put him down, breathing hard, turning to the angel as he slowly picked himself up. "You. Gather the spare wood around the cave and make a small fire. Do not make it close to my nest, or set up any form of trap or line of flammables that lead to my nest. And you may speak."  
  
The angel paused, cursing the birds foresight, though he did not know why he wanted a fire. Beasts like him typically ate their meat raw, and Glory had claimed in the casino he wanted to tear him apart. He slowly set to work however, collecting sticks and kindling for a small fire, Glory watching him with those unnerving eyes. Something red appeared from his neck, the angel raising his brow at the strange cardinal.  
  
_"So, uh.. What's the plan here?"_ The bird asked, not realizing the angel could understand beast tongue. _"You and I both know how Pippen feels about slaves. No matter the reason, she's going to flip her top when she finds out about him._ " Glory merely grunted, waiting for the fire.  
  
"Who are you?" The angel demanded as he worked. "Why are you doing this? What has the council done to you? We only do good works-" He winced a bit at the last phrase, one he knew was not the truth, but tried it none the less.  
  
"We both know that is not the truth." Glory huffed, gesturing towards the gathered materials. "Start the fire. My name is Glory, Glory Asunder. Who are you?"  
  
The angel was quiet, starting the fire. The cardinal flew around, muttering anxiously to himself. "Pidge." The angel answered. "My name is Pidge Angel." He started the fire, nervously stepping back as he waited.  
  
A flash of fire consumed the soul contract moments later, Glory having pitched the rolled up paper into the flames. Pidge felt full control of his being return to him as he was freed, grey eyes looking to Glory in shock.  
  
"I do not know how you feel into The Devil's claws, Pidge Angel, but do not do it again. I can not promise you that the next to claim ownership over you in that event will treat you in the same manner." Glory huffed. "All I ask is three things of you. Foremost, do not report my existence to your overseers or whom ever has standing over you. Second, refrain from seeking retribution against The Devil for at least a month. I may still need information from that place, though this request may be disregarded in accordance to how you reply to my third request. Do you know a way around barriers set in place by the angelic council?"  
  
Pidge was quiet, slowly processing everything that was said. "I.. I can't return to the Council in any way, so your first request is moot. It was by their hands I fell into The Devil's clutches, for asking to many questions and deviating from what they wanted. There would be no retribution, no lashing out by the Council on my behalf. They wanted me gone. As for barriers.. you mean the one on the edge of Tunis, don't you? The cave sealed to prevent a terrible beast from coming through? Is that your master?"  
  
It was Glory's turn to be quiet, processing this information with interest. "My master is a simple being, no terrible beast bound to a cave. What you sealed was a path between this world and another, one I and my master call home, and desire to return to." He paused. "For what reason has the Council turned their back on you?"  
  
"So, it was another lie. Why am I not surprised?" Pidge muttered, bitterness seeping into his tone. "I.. Like I said, I asked to many questions. Where did Angelis come from? Why hadn't they revealed themselves sooner? Why is it only the inner council ever sees or interact with them? What is 'corruption', and why does it turn angels into demon type toons? Why are we suddenly campaigning against humans, when there hasn't been a human incursion in over three hundred years?"  
  
Glory let him ramble, absorbing what he was told. It seems Galyx had guided him to an unexpected ally, and not a tool. "Why has the king vanished, and no council seek an answer to his disappearance?" He offered.  
  
"Exactly!" Pidge nearly shouted. "The council's are meant to serve the crown, and to protect the throne, but not take over it! But that's what we're doing.."  
  
"Pidge, I believe you should continue your investigations.." Glory rumbled. "Many of your questions are ones we have asked ourselves as well, but we are not in a position to seek those answers without raising suspicion."  
  
"But if I reappear the Council will see to it I am taken care of again.." Pidge muttered.  
  
"Than we will disguise you as something other than an angel." Glory rumbled. "My master is due to check on me some time today, as she did not favor the idea of me going into the casino to search for information to deal with our problems. She will be able to help us find a solution to this first problem."  
  
"Wait, before I throw myself in with you, I have to know what your purpose is-" Pidge demanded, wary of another betrayal.  
  
"Get comfortable Pidge. I will give you the entire story, though I will make it clear what you must consider carefully about sharing with others. You are in much the same circumstances as we are, and I feel it will benefit us to have no secrets between us." Glory rumbled, watching Redfall fly away to report to Pippen. Pidge managed to find a spot to get comfortable as he sat down, watching with sharp grey eyes as Glory began the lengthy tale. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've realized, there are so many people and names now  
> That I should probably put together a massive ref sheet of everyone with their names and the like so we keep track of who is who  
> So that will probs happen  
> I hope your enjoying the story if you're still reading ;w;


	12. Allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

Three days into her assignment, and Alice was feeling pretty good about the matter. Pippen now had a steady job at the library as an assistant, which according to Ms. Buttercup and Dewey she was doing a good job at. Alice couldn't tail her throughout her work, given Dewey had refused it, despite liking Alice more than most Angels.  
  
She accepted it, since she figured Pippen was being put to work specifically for the Association of Historical Knowledge after passing some unknown standard after the first day. She knew there was friction between her Council and the group, and didn't want to inflame matters by pushing in to a place she was not wanted. Besides, Dewey would not lie about how hard someone was or was not working.  
  
Outside of the job, Pippen was generally a good toon, better than most dark toons, at least by how the Angelic Council measured things. She didn't get into trouble unless she was with Bendy, at least not that Alice knew of.. And even then, it was always something minor and simple, like untying shoes or moving things around to confuse people. That much she had seen at least.  
  
Pippen was far from the handful Bendy had been the one time the Council had tried assigning her to watch over him. It was eventually cancelled because he was deemed a threat to Alice's potential to cleanse herself of dark influences. They didn't like the fact Alice still saw and interacted with him fairly regularly, but she always claimed she was trying to be a good influence, even when not assigned to him. It.. wasn't entirely untrue. She did push him occasionally to be a better person.  
  
They had also started to work on Pippen's fear of the city, as embarrassing as it still was for Pippen to admit to that fear. Alice wasn't sure _why_ it was Pippen was so embarrassed by this in particular. She had shown fear of other things without being as ashamed of her fear as she was her fear of the city. Sometimes, it felt like they had only a fragment of Pippen's story, and were working in the dark with only a single spot of light to refer to when trying to understand the strange imp.  
  
Despite this barrier, it didn't seem to be deterring Bendy in the slightest. In fact, the pair had been spending a great deal of time together after Pippen's incarceration, occasionally getting into trouble, which was Bendy's idea most of the time, but mostly just.. being together. It was honestly kind of cute, though Pippen didn't seem to think anything was changing between them. At least, not from what she said to Alice. But she was always so secretive and trapped in her own head. Would she really express such a thing to her?  
  
Who knew. Well, other than Pippen and Bendy, who seemed happy to spend time together without thinking about any labels or the like in the moment. Bendy seemed to have found a new hobby in trying to make Pippen blush, as Alice had caught him cackling while Pippen flushed a deep red more than once. They never would repeat what was said, and with Bendy it could be anything really.  
  
Overall, Alice was fairly certain she would not be assigned to Pippen for long. After all, she was far from a 'toon at risk' when she had a job, friends who watched out for her, and possibly something more. Alice wouldn't call anything and possibly jinx it. But she didn't seem at risk for becoming a criminal. She had an odd start, but was now on track to be a good, stable member of Tunis society.  
  
  
============  
  
  
Pippen sighed as she finished her third translation, stretching her aching hand. Despite being a book of recipes, which she had figured out about two pages in, Dewey had insisted she translate it to Tunis script, so that is what she had done. The first had been a history book about Tunis events far in the past, with names and locations she did not recognize, while her second was a book of magical theory that she was fairly certain was outdated. It didn't matter to Dewey. He wanted these mystery books translated so their secrets could be known to all, no matter what secrets the books held.  
  
"How goes the cook book, Ms. Clarke?" Dewey asked politely as he walked into the back room with a stack of books in need of repair.  
  
"Just got it done, Mr. Dewey." Pippen answered. He had found out her last name and had started to address her in such a polite manner, so Pippen had reciprocated the polite gesture.. Except Dewey didn't have a last name. So she improvised. "And I left spaces where the pictures were in the book. I don't know if you needed that or not but I figured.."  
  
"Oh, good thinking." Dewey hummed in approval. "Imagery is very important to keep intact as well, for the sake of having the work appear as close to it's original state as possible. It is a small detail to us here and now, but one day our future readers will likely be very grateful."  
  
Pippen sighed in relief, stretching her fingers. On her second day, Ms. Buttercup had taught her hand stretches to help the muscles in her hands. Or rather, she had reminded her of them. Pippen had known of the stretches already, from a time that felt so long ago, when she lost part of her pinky, and so much of the surrounding hand was damaged. The wounds had healed, and the missing pinky was of no matter on her four fingered toon hand, but the scars were still visible when she took off her left glove.  
  
"Have you taken your lunch break, Ms. Clarke?" Dewey asked, aware of the fact she would lose track of time very easily while working. He appreciated the hard work, but he didn't want the strange imp to starve herself for him or the Association. She had been working for them for a week now, and had proven a hard worker, and a good person despite being a demon type toon.  
  
"Ah, no. Is that lunch truck still in the parking lot?" She asked, sitting up a bit, digging her wallet from her pocket.  
  
"It is. I was about to go out myself. I could escort you, so you don't have to track down Alice and have her escort you." They both knew it could take her a while to find the angel among the stack of books, usually reading something to the children or helping with homework where she could. It always took a while to shake her from the tasks she took on.  
  
"Oh, thank you Mr. Dewey." Pippen smiled in gratitude, following the inkwell out of the building. They got their orders and took on the back steps to the library, which saw little foot traffic. A place to eat that was quiet, and where they wouldn't bring the food into the library and possibly damage the books.  
  
"So, Pippen, where _do_ you come from?" Dewey asked. He had been slowly peppering her with questions as time allowed, an idea steadily forming in his mind, though he had yet found the evidence to back it up. But he could not shake it. And Pippen, if questioned enough, had shown to slip up and give answers after a while.  
  
"The mountains." Pippen mumbled. She was fairly certain he would have already found that out, since Henry had gone to Ms. Buttercup for advice the day they first came to the library. She had found out on accident as Ms. Buttercup let it slip, talking about how concerned Henry was for her, and how much he cared, all the questions he had asked about if there was a significant need in the differences between the needs of imps and devils, and how areas they were from may effect them..  
  
"But what part of the mountains?" Dewey asked. "You are quite unfamiliar with many things. Did you experience any severe head trauma before arriving in this area?"  
  
"Far to the south." Pippen answered. "Far, Far away. I came here looking for something, but it can not be reached any more. Now.. I'm..." She trailed off, sitting still and staring ahead of herself. "Trying.. to find a purpose.. And maybe a way to achieve my original goal."  
  
"Ah, the southern mountains. They are not quite as developed as we are up here in the north. If you live in the right areas under the right circumstances, I'd imagine that is why you knew so little of what is so common to us here." Dewey mused, not afraid to make it clear he was questioning her story. It was a strange game of cat and mouse they played, and he had a sense that Pippen was growing tired of avoiding so many cats, even with so many of the cats unaware of the game.  
  
"Yeah.." Pippen mumbled. She took another bite of her sub, grimacing as a water balloon flew out of nowhere, pelting first her, and then Dewey. A group of school children ran by, laughing at the soaked pair, Pippen staring sadly at her soaked sandwich. Then she started to turn red in the face with anger, standing and fuming, wings beating the air behind her. This was the third day they had been soaked while trying to have lunch.  
  
"Void take you, wretched brats!" She shouted after them, bristling with anger as she threw her soaked sub towards them.  
  
Dewey paused, curiosity flaring. That was an unusual curse, but one he had heard from a fellow Association of Historical Knowledge member once before, a long time ago. He claimed it was of _human_ origins, due to their beliefs in the void being where all evil in the worlds go when it reaches it's end. They would invoke the void in insults and curses, in a similar fashion toons would use the word hell. It was a tidbit of knowledge the member's family had preserved, and the other member had _insisted_ was legit.  
  
Pippen was the first, and only, toon he had ever heard invoke the void in such a way. When other toons spoke of the void, they were using it to mean emptiness, or the night sky where the stars were not present. The few times Pippen had spoken of the void around him, it had been used like it was a place, the word always implied to have negative connotations, especially the few times it had appeared in the translations. She never explained how she knew this, she just knew that references to the void had negative connotations.  
  
Was.. Was it possible that Pippen was human? He had heard legends, whispers of humans who could blend in among toons, though not always for nefarious reasons. These legends were of course heavily suppressed, but information had a way of reaching Dewey and the other members of the Association of Historical Knowledge. There was a spell he had in mind that could offer some clarity, but.. He would have to play his cards with care. If she were human, or related to humans, than Pippen would likely be hiding it for her own safety, and playing her cards with care as well.  
  
"A shame the children do not know how to respect their elders." Dewey offered as Pippen picked up the pieces of her sandwich, intending to throw it out instead of leaving a mess on library property. "I guess that is our signal to return inside."  
  
"Yeah." Pippen sighed, throwing away her soaked sandwich. "Back to work." She shook off the water quickly, Dewey wiping himself down with a handkerchief he pulled from his 'pocket'. The pair walked indoors once they were dry, Pippen's tail low as she walked. It was an unpleasant way to end their conversation, that was for certain.  
  
Once they had returned to the backrooms, Pippen approached the stack of books she was set to translate. She picked one at random, digging out a fresh binder to begin writing things down in. As she got to work, Dewey quietly set up his spell, a simple matter of magical runes placed on a piece of paper. It would identify the parentage of a toon, and reflect this with a pair of colorful circles that would appear beneath the circle of runes.  
  
"Pippen, could you help me with something?" Dewey called, the imp looking up and walking over to him. "I just need you to place your hand here. I'm testing a new spell that is supposed to react differently to different kinds of toons, but I'm not sure how it will react to certain types since the book was damaged. Could I borrow your hand for a moment?"  
  
Pippen nodded, placing her hand on the paper, in the middle of the rune circle. She jumped as the runes flared gold, light engulfing her form for a second, before being rapidly drawn to the page. She stumbled back, blinking in surprise, watching as a deep red-black sphere and a bronze colored sphere appeared on the page. She walked closer, looking over the page curiously, than Dewey. "So what does that mean?"  
  
"It mean's your father was a demon toon, and your mother.. was human." Dewey answered, staring at the unmistakable bronze sphere. The room seemed to freeze, Pippen staring up at him, her pupils rapidly dilating in terror. He caught her the moment she started running, the imp shaking in terror in his grasp, her breathing erratic. He quickly shushed her, glancing worriedly towards the door, walking deeper into the backrooms. He found a corner not immediately visible from the door, setting her down onto a box. "Deep breaths, Ms. Clarke."  
  
"H-H-How did you- I-I can explain- Please- Oh Galyx, please don't tell everyone else. Please!" Pippen sobbed, hyperventilating in terror as her worst nightmare became reality. She had walked right into it, and had unwittingly revealed what she was so easily.  
  
"Please, Ms. Clarke, I need you to breath or you will pass out." Dewey reiterated in a calm voice, giving her a bit of space. "It will be OK. I am not going to tell everyone, I do not intend to carelessly reveal your secret. All I ask, is you answer some questions, once you are ready."  
  
Pippen hiccuped and gasped, slowly fighting down her terror. She looked up to Dewey, seeing he was being honest, and shockingly calm, her eyes wobbling with watery tears and terror. He was patient, as he had been with her since she began working in the library. Being patient had paid off before, he had learned, and being patient would likely continue to be the best way to work with Pippen effeciently.  
  
Slowly, she calmed down enough to speak, answering his simple questions. First, he wanted to know if her name was her real name. Than, he wanted to know if he was correct as to her parentage, that is who was the father and mother. Than things became more complicated.  
  
"Why do you look like a pure toon, Pippen? Why do you know so little of Tunis if one of your parents was a toon?" Dewey questioned.  
  
"I'm.. I was not raised in Tunis." Pippen squeaked. "I-I'm from.. Wyvera. I'm from a human c-country."  
  
"That.. That is why you know the script." Dewey murmured, eyes widening in realization.  
  
"Y-Yeah." Pippen murmured. "Dad.. I think.. he wanted to teach me more about my toon side but..He didn't.. He didn't get the chance. I.. He died when I was seven. And I was taken as a slave." She looked away, pain in her eyes. "I escaped, three years later and that eventually lead to here."  
  
"That is a lot of detail to skip over, Ms. Clarke." Dewey pointed out. "How were you sent here? Why?"  
  
"I was sent here with a letter." She began, slowly explaining her task, how she had come here, the change that had happened to her form, how the path had been carefully guarded for so many years, Glory, everything, the information rapidly tumbling out of her as she finally didn't have to keep up the lie anymore. She was almost relieved by the end of it, looking up to Dewey with tired eyes.  
  
"What now?" She asked him. "What are you going to do now?"  
  
"Now?" Dewey echoed, deep in thought. "I am going to offer you my spare handkerchief so you can clean up your face." He pulled the object from his pocket, offering it to her. "And then I suppose we will get back to work. I need time to process everything you told me. You next work shift is when I imagine I will have all my questions in line. Than we can start to find the truth of our countries shared history."  
  
"I-How- You're so calm." Pippen stumbled over her words, rubbing the tear stains from her face.  
  
"I told you before. I do not blindly believe everything the Council teaches us. And you have proven to me you are not the monster the council would have us believe, even if you are only half human. " Dewey answered, standing up straight, looking to the door once more. It would be difficult to explain to Ms. Buttercup if she walked in right now. "I do not believe we can find the king. It has been ten years since he has vanished. But with what we find thanks to your translation key, we could begin the process of undermining the council's lies. We could have the peace you and so many others seek."  
  
"Really?" Pippen murmured.  
  
"I believe so. Knowledge is powerful, and history is the most powerful kind of knowledge. It will take time, but the truth will come to the forefront." Dewey declared, standing tall. "Now, you spoke of this Dracostryx being with you.. and if I am not mistaken, the picture I saw you looking at and mocking all that time ago in the time out room was incorrect, was it not?"  
  
"Terribly incorrect." Pippen answered.  
  
"I would like to ask another favor of you. I would like you to write down what you know of the species so we may begin a proper record." Dewey asked.  
  
"... Would a book on the species suffice instead?" Pippen asked, Dewey's eyes widening a bit in excitement. "I have a book, I don't particularly need it because I know everything in it but I keep it on hand for reference and for.. sentimental reasons. I could lend it to you.."  
  
"That would be most excellent!" Dewey declared, excited by the prospect of a fresh, new book, straight from the mysterious Wyvera. "Please bring it in as soon as you can!"  
  
"I-It may take a bit of time." Pippen admitted. "I've left it with Glory, like a lot of my stuff, and with Alice tailing me.."  
  
"You can't just go to him.." Dewey muttered in thought, rubbing his chin. "But perhaps.. If I were to go with you on a field venture.." He paused, glancing towards a half filled glass case. "We have been meaning to try and catch more butterfly samples for the display.."  
  
"I mean, I'm pretty good at bug catching." Pippen offered. "You have to be when you're raising Stryx. They're a very good source of protein for young birds."  
  
"I may have to interview you for the sake of first hand experience.." Dewey muttered, eyeing her with renewed curiosity. "What was it you said your career was in Wyvera?"  
  
"I ran a ranch with a friend of mine breeding Stryx, and possibly other beasts. We also had a teacher and arena instructor as well for training new handlers and the like. But primarily we were a breeding ranch, and rented out the birds for work." Pippen answered after a moment, sitting up with pride. It was a simple career, but it was hers.. and she missed it terribly.  
  
"Fascinating." Dewey muttered. "I imagine you will know much in the way of taming, training, and otherwise dealing with Stryx."  
  
"Most folk in Wyvera do to a degree, though we know a bit more." Pippen offered. "I mean, Dracostryx are literally all over the country. You can't really live there without encountering them at least once."  
  
"We will have to continue this interview another day.." Dewey muttered, looking to the clock. "As interested as I am in getting more information from you, I fear if I hold you here for too long it will raise suspicions, and I need to destroy that page.." He walked ahead of her, Pippen sliding off of the box and following him, feeling a bit more confident. Dewey was possibly the only toon she could tell all of this too without him freaking out. He was just to focused on the knowledge he did not have, and had deemed her safe.  
  
She watched as the page was dropped into Dewey's ink, the page turning completely black before being thrown away. He turned back to her, pausing before speaking. "It just came to me that I should apologize. I did not mean to cause you such a terrible fright. I didn't think you were going to be that panicked.."  
  
"I.. well things are more complicated than I guess most people's situation would be." She offered, rubbing the back of her head. She looked up to him, still a bit nervous. "I.. You're really not going to tell anyone else?"  
  
"Not unless you request me to do so." Dewey murmured. "I recognize there is a good reason for your caution, and I will not needlessly endanger you. If anyone asks me, you are merely a common imp who had contact with a hermit who taught you many unusual things."  
  
"That's.. a good excuse.." Pippen murmured. "I'm going to borrow that."  
  
"It would be best we keep our stories in line with one anothers." Dewey agreed. "Now, I believe it is time for you to depart. Thank you for your work on the books once more.. and for entrusting me with this information, Pippen. I promise you, your trust is not misplaced."  
  
She looked up to him, nerves easing at his softened tone. Despite his general manner, Dewey was capable of being nice, to a degree. Mostly when he wasn't thinking about several other things at once from what Pippen had seen.  
  
"T-Thank you. For not.. For not treating me like a monster." Pippen murmured, her voice soft, edged slightly with fear. He might not view her as a monster, but if she were not more careful she could slip up again.. and then where would their judgement fall?  
  
  
============  
  
  
It was Pippen's next shift that she found herself walking back out of the city with Dewey, both of them armed with butterfly nets and a container for bugs. He had decided that acquiring the book first would make answering questions easier, before he would start to shake Pippen down for whatever information she could provide. Walking with them was Alice, also armed with a butterfly net, since she was still assigned to Pippen by the Council, but Dewey had promised he would work it out.  
  
Once they reached the field near the Stein home, just a bit to the east of the forest Pippen would travel through to reach the mountain, they got to work catching bugs. Dewey was slowly steering the group closer and closer to the woods, until they were right by it. Alice was none the wiser, happily helping the pair out, focused on catching the insects the library displays needed. It was at least another fifteen minutes before she realized the pair had vanished, no longer present in the field with them.  
  
Pippen learned then how fast Dewey could move when he wanted too, guiding him through the woods quickly. They already had a cover story set up about seeing a rare type of insect and pursuing it as it fled, and then got lost in the woods. Now it was a matter of reaching Glory and getting back to the field at a reasonable pace.  
  
No matter how quickly Pippen went, the inkwell managed to keep up, finding his way around and through the trees, until they reached the mountain. Redfall had been sent that morning to warn Glory she was bringing someone to the cave at some point. In turn, he had hinted at a development he wasn't sure she would like, though he wouldn't elaborate on it. She really hoped it wasn't a dead body Glory insisted on keeping. She had seen Dracostryx do stranger things in the past when left alone too long.  
  
They reached the mountainside in minutes, partly thanks to Dewey's familiarity with the area. He had never actually _walked_ the paths, being busy in the library and with his duties to the Association of Historical Knowledge, but he had seen many, many maps of the area around Silvi, and was familiar with it in theory. It meant he took them down an easier path to maneuver down than what Pippen usually took, one that, while longer on paper, took far less time to actually traverse.  
  
"OK. So.. Like I warned you.. Glory can be a bit of a handful. Harpia's are the second largest type of Dracostryx, so he _will_ be taller than you if he chooses to stand up all the way." Pippen reiterated as they walked along the edge of the mountainside, the pair quickly closing in on the path to the cave. She hadn't introduced Glory to someone around Dewey's size in a long time, the only one who had not been an enemy being one of the ranch hands, a Minotaur who was just a bit taller than Dewey. But everything else in between..  
  
"I understand. I will be on my best behavior." Dewey rumbled, understanding her nervousness. She was about to introduce him to an extraordinarily rare beast, one that was not very familiar with a large variety of toons.. Save those that had labeled him a monster immediately. The imp had also warned him that the specimen he was about to meet was a very proud one as well, and would possibly test his mettle. Not by outright attacking him, but small lunges or intimidating moves, testing to see if he would flinch. This 'Glory' would find he was testing a confident, sturdy soul.  
  
Pippen managed a nervous smile, quickly clambering up the path. Her eyes were nervous.. but excited as well, and to a degree relieved. She was no longer hiding her secret alone, but had someone to confide in. Dewey wasn't the first person she would have chosen as he confidant, but he was a dependable, trustworthy person, albeit a bit overzealous in his pursuit of knowledge and sticking to the library rules. To a degree, the pressure of constantly keeping her lie intact had lightened with one person in on the secret.  
  
Her nervous smile fled as they reached the cave, Dewey huffing as he climbed up the ledge, determined to see this through. In the cave sat an angel, seated on a pile of moss and a couple of Glory's shed feathers, the figure asleep, his grey and white wings tucked behind him. He wore clothes a bit too big for him, clothing that looked rather familiar to Pippen. She began to bristle with alarm, Dewey raising his brow as he crested the ledge, before shifting to an understanding glare. The Angelic Council had found this place-  
  
_"Oi!_ " Redfall called as he appeared, flying between Pippen and Dewey before they could make a move on the angel. " _So, surprise! This is what Glory dragged back from the Casino."_  
  
"What do you mean he got that angel from the Casino?!" Pippen demanded, barely keeping the fear out of her tone. Dewey glanced to her, choosing to wait before acting. This sounded interesting.  
  
_"He won the angel at the Casino. A legit slave raffle, I tell ya-"_ Redfall began.  
  
"A _SLAVE?!_ " Pippen hissed, eyes wide with shock and disgust. "What do you mean, a slave?!"  
  
_"Calm down! We won him as a slave but he's free now! We burned his contract. So now he's free, but he's working with us for reasons."_ Redfall quickly chirped.  
  
"What do you mean, burned his contract? Slaves don't have contracts-" Pippen began, confusion seeping in.  
  
"I believe they are referring to a soul contract." Dewey cut in, seeing the bird was taking his time in explaining matters. "It is a terrible sort of magic that binds the soul of a living being to a contract, and whoever has the contract is in total command of the one it binds. Typically, they can not be destroyed by the being bound to it, unless their master purposefully gives it up to them."  
  
"Why didn't you just tell me that to start with?!" Pippen demanded, the cardinal landing on a rock.  
  
_"You didn't give me the chance."_ Redfall harrumphed.  
  
"How did you think I was going to respond to the word 'slave', Redfall?" Pippen snapped. She shook it off, looking past the angel into an empty cave. "Where is Glory?"  
  
" _Hunting. But he's coming back now. I was sent ahead to check for you. Good thing too, or you'd have beaten up poor Pidge."_ The Microstryx answered, flying over to the angel and dropping onto his head, pecking him. _"OI, get up! The boss is here, and she brought a friend!"_  
  
"Nnh-!" The angel, Pidge, woke up with a jerk, looking around rapidly, pausing as his eyes landed on the pair. His expression briefly flashed to alarm, before he remembered where he was, and what Glory had told him. The Stryx's master was half devil toon, and had taken the form of a full one when they entered Tunis. This was likely her then. "Are you Pippen?"  
  
"Aye. I take it you're Pidge? The angel.. slave.. Glory released?" Pippen echoed.  
  
"Yes." Pidge answered, flushing with embarrassment. "I was, and am. How much have they told you about my situation, and why I'm still here? I don't want to waste your time reiterating something you already know."  
  
"Only that they went to the casino for information, and brought back an angel." Pippen answered, before hesitantly putting forward her own question. "How much of our situation do you know?"  
  
"Everything except for why the inkwell is with you." Pidge answered.  
  
"Wait- He told you everything without asking me?!" Pippen demanded.  
  
"Yes.. Ah.. He said that he felt our circumstances were similar enough to warrant a complete debrief." Pidge offered awkwardly, rubbing his shoulder. "I.. I'm not going to rat you out to the Angelic Council, if that's your concern. I'm.. not operating with them anymore as it is.."  
  
"You aren't?" Dewey rumbled, eyeing him with interest now. He had never met an angel who was not working with the Council and bound by their rules. There simply wasn't one, or at least not one who would reveal themselves as an angel no longer with the Council. Most likely due to internal pressure from the Council itself, if Dewey had to guess.  
  
"No.. I.. Asked too many questions.. And had too many issues with some of the new policy pushes.." Pidge muttered. "I mean, there is a portion of angels like me, with the same issues and questions but.. none of them were stupid enough to speak up as loudly as I did. That's how I ended up in the Devil's casino, with nothing but a loincloth to my name."  
  
"But you aren't wearing- Wait, isn't that Henry's shirt?" Pippen began, realizing how she recognized the clothing. "Did Glory steal that for you?!"  
  
"Steal?" Pidge echoed, discomfort seeping into his tone. "He told me he got this from a donation box near the city-"  
  
"Dammit Glory." Pippen muttered, shaking her head. "Alright, settle down. It's not your fault, and I'm sure Henry technically wouldn't mind it, since you were in need. Just.. Don't make a habit of it."  
  
"Tell me, Pidge, what do you plan to do now?" Dewey questioned once Pippen had finished, focused intently on him.  
  
"I.. I want to keep looking for answers." Pidge answered after a moment. "But.. I can't go out like this.. I need a disguise so other angels won't recognize me and report me to the Council, since I'm not assigned to this area.. and if the Council finds out I'm loose again.."  
  
"That I can take care of, on one condition." Dewey declared, the shorter pair looking to him. "You will come work at the library, specifically for the Association of Historical Knowledge. You will provide what information you have that the Angelic Council has been suppressing that you know of, and any other information you can provide, and act as our aide in undoing the damage and suppression the Angelic Council has put in place. As such, we will do what we can to aide you in finding answers to your questions, as I feel many of the questions you carry are ones we have as well. In between all of this, you will aid with the transcription of ancient books from Wyverian to Tunis script, with the key Pippen has provided."  
  
"You'd- You're with the A.H.K? And you'd still help me?" Pidge asked, processing everything. A job that would give him protection and eventually answers to his questions, and not cost him his soul? Dewey nodded, and Pidge quickly continued. "How quickly can you get the disguise together? If you can be sure it will stop other angels from detecting me, I will begin working for you at the soonest possible time."  
  
"I have a couple spells in mind, but it may take some time." Dewey stated. "I hope you do not mind waiting here a bit longer while I ensure your safety. Both yours and Pippen's safety is of the utmost importance to myself, and to the Association. You two are two keys to undoing the damage the Angelic Council has done, but also living beings.. And we must remember to protect and respect you as such." It felt like he was partially saying this to himself, nodding a bit at the end of his grand declaration.  
  
"Now the only question is where Glory is.." Pippen muttered, walking into the cave to collect the books she had with her, passing them to Dewey for safe keeping, and so that Alice would not realize something had happened while they were gone. Dewey slipped them into his pocket, the safest place for them to be at the time.  
  
"I am here." Rumbled a voice above the cave entrance, the large head of the Harpia peering in. "Listening and waiting.."  
  
"Well, get down then. If you've been listening then you should know that Dewey is on the level." Pippen ordered, the bird slowly making his way down, making a point of showing off his scars and prowess to the inkwell. He was putting on an intimidating show, as Pippen had warned Dewey he would, likely due to Dewey's size. Dewey remained calm, though he eyed the Dracostryx with obvious fascination.  
  
"The imagery in the books were nowhere near a proper representation of your species.." Dewey muttered after several moments, rubbing his chin in thought. Glory blinked, slowly settling down into a calm pose, looking to Pippen, who shrugged. "I will have to see to it that the information is corrected as soon as possible. It is a disservice to the general public and to your species for the current misinformation to remain unchallenged."  
  
"You and me, we're going to have a chat soon." Pippen stated, pointing at Glory, who puffed a heavy breath but seemed indifferent to the threat. "As soon as I'm free to.."  
  
"Sure." Glory rumbled, leaning over a bit, the charm he still wore glinting in the light.  
  
"Ah! A beast tongue charm. That is how we can understand you.." Dewey murmured in thought. "Those are quite rare. I would take great care with that. You won't find a replacement very easy."  
  
"Duly noted." Glory muttered, pausing before stalking past the group into the depths of the cave, settling in his nest. "This isn't going to be a common occurrence, correct? I am not a Stryx who enjoys many house guests at once."  
  
"I know that Glory..." Pippen muttered. "This was only a one time thing, unless Dewey needs to come out and ask you something. It was the only way to get around Alice without outright ditching her and raising her suspicions.."  
  
"Alice?" Pidge echoed, glancing towards Glory for answers.  
  
"Some angel your former Council has watching Pippen." Glory grumbled with displeasure. Another reason he could not regularly see Pippen.  
  
"Ah. The 'Toon at Risk' program?" Pidge questioned knowingly. "Well, with a steady job, and little displays of trouble, she will likely be unassigned from you soon."  
  
"That's what I'm hoping. But we've pushed our luck far enough. We need to get back.." Pippen muttered, looking back towards the forest, and the field beyond.  
  
"That is true." Dewey agreed. "We should get going. I will find a way to get the spell to you soon, Pidge. Until we meet again, I bid you an adieu."  
  
"I'll talk to you again soon, Glory." Pippen promised, the pair turning to retreat before the angel in question could stumble across their location.  
  
  
===========  
 **Glimpse of the past**  
  
_Life had been.. interesting, to put it simply, as they forged ahead though the wilds alone. Well, technically not alone. They had each other, and they got along quite well. It had been a narrow escape from their former masters, or rather Pippen's former masters and his former captors, but by sheer luck, or perhaps the mercy of the gods, they had escaped. A heavy rainfall had started when they began their escape, the clouds gathering in mee hours, and the rain had helped them escape, obscuring their fleeing forms.  
  
They had escaped, no arrows piercing their skinny forms, no fangs biting into their vulnerable bodies. By some small mercy, they had reached a river before the rain fall further up had come crashing down, splitting them away from their pursuers. They hadn't stopped running either, and had ran through the night, and through the rain, until they had both collapsed of exhaustion, dragging themselves into the shelter of a small cave.  
  
Now they were here, maybe.. two months later? He wasn't sure. Time was hard to keep track of when you were living purely in the wilds. The days had begun to blend together, consumed by their focus on surviving, finding shelter, and to keep moving. Always moving, far away from their captors, from the portion of the country where they would be perfectly fine with returning Pippen to her masters, and see him ended.  
  
"I found some of the good berries." Pippen's voice broke through his thoughts, the dirty girl making her way to him, scrabbling through the underbrush with ease. They had found clothing for both of them, though it was ill fitting, and had even managed to snag a couple bags the few times they had risked going near civilization. Pippen even had a knife, mostly used for cutting up any unfortunate animal they caught and killed for a meal.  
  
"Oh, that's good." Gru murmured, accepting a portion of the berries. Things were getting harder as the seasons shifted from summer to fall. Soon it would be winter.. And then what would they do? They couldn't go north. The weather would be even worse than it would be down here. But even this far south, the cold season would not be gentle with them. Neither of them had faced the matter yet, instead pushing forwards and hoping a solution would cross their path. It was the best the pair of children could think ahead. Pippen was only ten, if her measurement of time while enslaved as correct, while Gru was roughly twelve. Neither of them had enough experience with the world to figure out how to solve this.  
  
"I saw more wisps too." Pippen whispered, eyes sparkling. "I think we should follow them, Gru. They help lead people to good things! That's what mama taught me."  
  
"But.. They can also lead you to something bad." Gru pointed out. His father had warned him that Wisps were neither purely good or evil. They were simply ghosts of the path, who sometimes lead the living. But they act of actively leading a living being was rare, and most of the time wisps were simply minding their own business.  
  
"Well yeah.. but only if you made the goods mad." Pippen offered. "That's what mama said. They're beings of magic, born from the wild magic in the world, and that they serve the gods when called upon. And when one is trying to show you something, you should follow them, no matter what it may lead to."  
  
"But if it's bad.." Gru muttered.  
  
Pippen shrugged. "How much worse can things get?" She asked.  
  
That had been the end of the conversation, the pair falling silent for a spell. And then a wisp darted between them, a little blue spirit a bit larger than a baseball, in the shape of a mighty stag. It ran around them through the air, before running towards another direction, returning moments later. This time a second one was with it, one shaped like a mouse, the small fist sized wisp running around them, before running in the direction the stag had gone, the stag repeating it's loop.  
  
Pippen stood, eyes sparkling with determination. "We have to go."  
  
"O-OK." Gru agreed, standing slowly. This was the first time that the wisps had done something so blatant, so obviously signalling a desire for them to be followed.  
  
The wisps appeared again, a third with them, this one the size of a basket, a hare, leaping around them through the air, before all three darted forward down the path they had been signalling. This time they followed, the pair running after the three wisps, racing through the foliage and undergrowth with practiced ease.  
  
They followed the blue lights down a long and twisting path, more wisps rapidly gathering around them, 'running' through the air alongside them, or flying though they need not beat their wings anymore. They were all different sizes and light intensity, some as small as the mouse, with the largest being the size of a small dog. There was no consistency in species and size of wisp, but neither of them questioned it, following the original trio unwavering.  
  
And then they stopped. The wisps no longer ran, but stopped, hovering over a tall bush, circling it silently. The crowd of wisps that had joined them milled about through the surrounding trees, swirling and flying through the air, the clearing the pair stood in lit a light blue by the wisps. Slowly, they approached the bush, pushing it aside to see what lay beyond it.  
  
The bush hid a crevace, which lead into nicely sized cave, most of the space taken up by sticks, moss, and other soft materials. A large nest lay before them, two dark blue eggs with light speckling along the surface, roughly the size of a basketball each, resting in the center. They were intact, and seemed healthy, nudging lightly here and there as the beings inside moved.  
  
Resting on the side of the nest, just beside the eggs, was the unmoving form a Tyto Stryx. The pair stared in shock, ready to flee if need be, but quickly realized that the form was unnaturally still, slowly drawing the dots together. It was the first time Gru had seen a Stryx up close, and the first Tyto Pippen had ever seen, and both couldn't stop staring at the brown feathers and moon white face of the bird before them.  
  
A powerful blue light flooded the small cavern, the pair looking up in fear as a large wisp slid down from above. It was the same size as the fallen Stryx, unnaturally large for a wisp, it's pale, pupilless eyes staring down at them as it landed on the nest. They cowered before the spirit of the Dracostryx, fear and uncertainty plaguing them both as they trembled. Stryx were friends and aids of the populace, but those were tamed Stryx. Not wild Stryx. Wild Stryx were wild cards, unpredictable and uncertain, and meant to be dealt with on a case by case basis.. and usually left alone if possible.  
  
The spirit looked down on them silently, before stepping back, uncovering the eggs. She bowed her head, gesturing to the eggs, and then to the pair, her glittering eyes falling on the bags on their backs.  
  
"Us?" Pippen echoed, pointing to herself, and then looking to the eggs. The massive wisp nodded, the half human nervously stepping closer. The cave was unnaturally warm, likely thanks to the power of the wisp before them, ensuring the eggs remained viable. She slowly reached out, taking one of the eggs slowly. The fallen Tyto did not interfere, instead looking to Gru, and then the remaining egg.  
  
"I-If you're sure-" Gru whispered, approaching the nest respectfully. Pippen was already pitching odds and ends out of her bag, making a warm and comfortable make shift nest for the egg. Now they had two mouths on the way, and winter. A Stryx would be a great aide but only when it was full grown.  
  
Once Gru had his egg carefully stowed away, the wisps began to stir once more, racing around the pair, guiding them out of the cave. The large Tyto wisp flew out of the cave, stopping on a log and waiting for them to approach, eyes glitter silently. As they approached, she began to fly again, the pair slowly realizing they were to follow the Tyto. They made their way through the woods, and then through the fields beyond, following the Wisp eagerly. It lead them through the night, before landing by a cave for the pair to rest in. When the night came again, they were lead to food and water, and the journey began once more. They gained and lost wisps as they traveled, the spirits leaving at their own pace for their own reasons, but the mother Stryx never left them.  
  
Slowly, they closed in on a location far to the northeast, a pair of mountains with a fleld between them, and a land where nothing grew within their range. A land of wild magic and secrets. A land they would live near for the longest time but never know the secrets of for the longest time. They were lead to the eastern most mountain, to the base, where they met a woman who would change their lives for ever.  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've realized that I have like  
> 35 characters I need to put into the ref sheet  
> And that's only currently  
> So this may take a while  
> Please forgive me the delay
> 
> Also double update in one day bc I had a lot of time to write the day prior <3


	13. Of dreams and nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

Pippen sighed as she walked out of the library's backroom, feeling drained and tired. All she had been doing was talking, but Dewey was _very_ persistent and thorough. Over the past two shifts he had been meticulously picking Pippen's brain for every tidbit of info she had, even if it was outdated, and the results of certain political actions or the like in Wyvera. She hadn't even realized she knew as much as she did until this point. She had always just thought she only knew Stryx, and barely anything else. Apparently she had absorbed more of the talk between the ranch hands and between Gru and the Senior staff than she had realized.  
  
"Dewey finally release you?" A voice asked, Pippen turning to Pidge, who was holding a stack of books. He had been put to work helping Ms. Buttercup until it was his turn for Dewey to pick his brain. His turn would likely be more easy, since he didn't have to pull out a map of an entire country and explain it to Dewey. Pippen was still cursing the fact she had kept the map tucked away in her book, though Dewey had been absolutely elated to see it. He had secreted it away, along with all the other notes he took from speaking with Pippen, all carefully encoded and hidden with spells that only the Historical Association of Knowledge had developed and knew how to crack. If someone outside the group tried to break it, it would alert Dewey immediately.  
  
"Yeah." Pippen murmured, eyeing the disguised angel. It was odd seeing the angel without his halo, his wings hidden away by the spells. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a common Mannish toon, with dark brown hair and eyes. Several false scars marred the left side of his face, a 'workplace accident' from his time in a factory, hence why he came to live in the city, away from the dangerous factory life style. Pippen wasn't sure if such scars were common for factory workers, and if they were she wasn't sure she liked the idea of factories anymore. "How's apartment hunting?"  
  
"It's.. going well." Pidge offered, shrugging. "I found a spot near the library.. though the location is.. uncomfortably close to other areas."  
  
"Do you mean the east side of the city, or otherwise?" Pippen asked softly, both of them knowing what the otherwise was.  
  
"Both." Pidge sighed. "But they're the only place that will take me in with the small down payment I have thanks to Dewey and Glory. I can't possibly ask them for more help, especially with the only place Glory can get more money." He dreaded the idea of the Stryx returning to the Casino. Between Pippen and him, they had managed to talk him out of the idea, making it clear he shouldn't go back. He had upset the owner and scarcely escaped with his soul and life intact. To go back would be suicide.  
  
"Well, Dewey said you should be safe.." Pippen murmured, referring to his spell, though it made her nervous he was so near the east side of the city. The east side was where all the criminals typically gathered. Thanks to this fact, there were also more angel patrols through the area, trying to catch the ne'er do wells. But the criminals of that area were crafty. They had to be to have kept their enterprises alive for so long. A simple patrol was very unlikely to succeed in capturing anything of importance or interest.  
  
"Yeah. I know better than to open my big mouth, this time around." Pidge sighed. "And I'll be here for the most part helping Dewey, so I'll be safe."  
  
"That's good." Pippen offered, smiling a bit, though she wished she could offer him more than just words. She gave him a sympathetic look, the angel smiling back at her in turn.  
  
"Hey, uh.. How about I take you by the food truck in the parking lot and buy you a snack?" Pidge abruptly offered. "It's time for my break anyway, and I mean.. It's one of the few ways I can start paying you guys back.."  
  
"You don't have to pay me back." Pippen murmured, flushing and blinking a bit in surprise. She didn't feel like he was in her debt in anyway, though she knew what it felt like to be in his position. "And I know Glory won't really think you're in his debt, since you're helping us. I don't know about Dewey, but given what you're going to tell him I imagine he feels things are squared away too."  
  
"Yeah, but.. I.. I want to." Pidge coughed, flushing a bit. "I can afford a small snack for you, and myself.. I-I'll still have enough to take care of myself if you're worried about that." He shuffled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. He really did want to do a small, kind gesture for her, even if it was something so simple. She was the nicest demon type toon he had ever met, and he wanted to keep building good will between them. It was that simple.  
  
"Ah, if you're sure.." Pippen offered, flushing a bit. She could see that turning him down would only make this entire situation more awkward, and she didn't want to stomp on his kindness. From what she had seen with Alice, angels didn't take very well to their kindness being shot down. It usually made them question themselves, if Alice was anything to go by. "As long as it won't put you in the red, I'm sure it can't hurt."  
  
"It won't!" He stated cheerfully, eyes brightening with relief. They both made their way out, Alice trailing after them a moment later, as she was still assigned to Pippen. It would take time before her report to the Angelic council on Pippen's status was processed, but she was willing to bet that she would be cleared from her duty once it was reviewed. There was no way they could possibly see it as necessary she continue to watch Pippen. But.. she would give the pair a bit of space, instead of standing on top of them.  
  
The pair walked out to the truck, Pidge insisting Pippen pick something she really would like, the imp settling on a hot dog. She quite liked the hot dogs, one of the first things Bendy had introduced her to when they began to venture in the city. He had shown her a lot once they started into the city after her recovery, though she never made it far without him or Henry in those early days. She still hadn't figured out how to repay either of them for all of their kindness.. or Bendy's continued attention, even though she wasn't that interesting or as entertaining as anyone else.  
  
Thinking of the devil, Bendy appeared among the crowd of food truck customers, the devil grinning wider as he spotted Pippen. Her back was to him as she ate, talking to an unfamiliar mannish toon, though it could be properly assumed he worked at the library as well given the vest and name tag he still wore. His smile fell from his face however as he walked towards them, the strangers hand going to Pippen's shoulder, and she didn't move away. The new toon smiled at her, bright and friendly. Too friendly. Just who was this guy?  
  
"Hey Pippen!" Bendy cut in, not caring that he cut off the stranger, who had been speaking. He sidled in between them, standing close to her, a calm expression on his face despite the emotions flaring through his chest. The only thing that gave him away was his tail, which was more active than usual. "Who's your friend?"  
  
"Oh hey, Bendy. This is, ah- This is Pidge." Pippen answered quickly, suddenly flustered and nervous. She wasn't sure why her emotions did a sudden flip like this when Bendy was around, but it had been happening more and more, especially when he got close to her like this. The gentle flush spread further across her face, her tail waving a bit more in response to his presence.  
  
"Pidge, huh? What kind of name is that?" Bendy questioned, raising a brow as he shifted ever so slightly to be even closer to Pippen. "Sounds like pigeon, but you don't look very bird like."  
  
"It's my name." Pidge answered, frowning at Bendy. This wasn't the first time he got flack for his odd name. It was always some smart mouthed dark toon too, or some criminal low life. "What's wrong with pigeons?"  
  
"Nothin', nothing.. Though that doesn't really answer the question.." Bendy harrumphed.  
  
"I think it means bird.. or flight." Pippen offered, trying to bring an end to the matter. She was more curious about why Bendy was here. "I remember reading it somewhere.. it's an older name, but it still gets used occasionally."   
  
"Oh. Well that's nice." Bendy offered, though he didn't sound like he meant it. He turned back to Pippen, smile returning as he cocked his head slightly. "Hey, so you're off shift, aren't you? I don't see a name tag.~"  
  
"Yeah, I am." Pippen answered, smiling a bit. "What are you thinking? I hope it doesn't involve Boris sheep and more dye.." She held up a glove, which was still stained blue along the palms. "I don't think that's coming out.."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Bendy stated in a cheeky tone, grinning wider at the mention of the prank he had roped her into. Not that it had been that hard to enlist her. "I was nowhere near the sheep paddock the other day. I was at home, reading a book, like a good devil."  
  
Pidge scoffed when he said 'good devil', Bendy glancing back to glare at him, tail whipping in warning. Anyone with sense would have realized they should walk away by now, but Pidge was still standing there, eating his fries as they talked. If he didn't think there could be a good devil, than what did he think of Imps? Was he just playing with Pippen? It wasn't uncommon for creeps looking to 'put a notch' on their belt to target the nicer demon type toons.  
  
He looked away, shaking his head a bit. He was getting ahead of himself. Pippen could protect herself.. Mostly. Once she was informed she was generally safe. He coughed, before continuing. "Anyway, I was thinking of taking you somewhere nice. Somewhere your tail-" He glanced towards Alice. "- Will like too."  
  
"What are you thinking?" Pippen asked curiously, cocking her head a bit. She followed him as he began to lead her away from Pidge, a gloved hand in her own, the imp turning to wave goodbye. Pidge managed to smile back to her, though it was clear he was miffed by Bendy's behavior. He let them go however, watching their retreating forms silently.  
  
"I'm thinking we go down to the dance hall." Bendy purred, grinning at her. She blinked, an uncertain look on her face. She didn't really know how to dance.. other than a single, traditional dance from Wyvera. The dance of Nokt didn't feel like the kind of dance that Bendy was talking about. She had seen him dance a couple times, and it was far more energetic and upbeat than the single dance she knew. "It's Karaoke day as well. Alice loves to sing."  
  
"What's this about singing?" Alice asked curiously as they closed in on her position. She had watched Bendy's arrival and was wearing a disapproving look over his behavior, though she said nothing for the moment.  
  
"We're heading down to the dance hall!" Bendy declared. "I'm going to teach Pippen how to dance. I figured you could use some fun as well."  
  
"Oh- That's very thoughtful of you Bendy, but I'm not sure I can sing while on duty-" Alice began, Bendy cutting her off.  
  
"Oh, come on! Loosen up a bit Alice! We both know this isn't a legit job, you're only here because your Council is biased against us dark toon types." Bendy harrumphed. He grinned mischievously, sweetening his tone. "It's about time you had some fun. Besides, you can keep an eye on everything from up on stage."  
  
"I guess.. I could." Alice murmured, pondering the matter quietly. The group began to walk once more, with Bendy in the lead, Pippen's expression still uncertain. Alice turned to her, smiling gently. "Are you nervous? It's not that hard once you learn the steps.. so long as someone teaches you the basic steps."  
  
"Hey, I wasn't going to hang her out to dry!" Bendy countered, glancing back to the pair, slowing down so they would get closer. He slid close to Pippen's side, boldly wrapping an arm around her. He was always a sucker for physical affection, but he was being unusual bold with Pippen today. She didn't resist, her cheeks hot as she glanced to him, a nervous smile on her face. "I'll teach you everything you need to know, Doll face, don't you worry."  
  
"You promise?" Pippen asked, raising her brow a bit. She didn't want to be left alone on the dance floor with no idea what to do. The idea was mortifying, and she really did not want to live it, especially if Bendy became distracted. It happened sometimes, though he was usually pretty good about not leaving her on her own and clueless when he promised. It just came with the territory of him being a bit of a nosy person, and she usually didn't mind, but being the one still person in a crowd of confident, dancing people was not something she wanted in the slightest.  
  
"I promise." He purred, taking her hand. A flush of warmth darted through her, the imp too distracted to notice how close to the east side of the city they were walking. He wouldn't take her there, he wouldn't go there either given past incidents involving himself, but once she started to notice how close they were getting she started to get a bit nervous. With Bendy pressed into her side however, she felt the unease abate to a degree, pressing closer to him.  
  
Pippen usually didn't feel so safe without one of her Stryx or trusted beasts nearby, but with Bendy it was.. Different. Even when approaching something dangerous, she felt safe, in spite of the fact he did not know much about fighting. It was illogical, but she felt better with him around. She just did, and she had been steadily taking notice of this fact, though now it was really standing out to her, her mind nibbling at the implications. She kept enough of her mind focused on the present to observe the present however, not allowing the thought to fully distract her.  
  
"Here we are!" Bendy declared several moments later, holding up his hands to present the dance hall. Patrons were already starting to turn up, their work shifts over and the toons eager to dance their concerns away. The music that was gliding out of the open doors was bouncy and energetic, dour faces lifting as their owners closed in on the friendly establishment. It may have been a bit close to the east side, but it was still a respectable and popular business, mostly thanks to the careful management and the fact most gangs from the other side of the river agreed to the dance hall being a neutral location. Rumor had it the owner had connections to ensure that neutrality, though no one really knew.  
  
"It looks nice." Pippen offered, glancing around. The building was well kept, brightly lit on the inside, with several advertisement boards out front. Several singers were advertised as coming in that night, and Alice perked up a bit as she read one of the signs.  
  
"Oh! Look guys! Sammy and Susie are performing tonight." Alice announced, pointing to one of the signs.  
  
"Really? I wonder if they're bringing in anything new tonight?" Bendy hummed, interest in his eyes. He and Sammy had a bumpy relationship, Sammy being the one teacher who had frequently been at the butt end of many of younger Bendy's pranks, but he did respect the man and his ability to compose music. Susie wasn't too bad either, and when she came out to sing she really let loose and gave it her all.  
  
"I didn't know they made music." Pippen murmured. She had only been aware of the fact the pair were teachers at the nearest Tunis school, with Sammy working as a 'music teacher' and Susie as a school librarian. She hadn't investigated far beyond that, though she appreciated their visit when she was incarcerated. Susie had seemed very nice and optimistic, and Sammy was down to earth, albeit a bit rough around the edges. She also knew Alice and Susie were good friends, though she didn't know the full story. The imp had only realized it after hearing Alice talk about Susie and wanting to visit her more once she was off duty, and Susie's reassurances about Alice when she found out Pippen was being assigned a guardian angel before she was released.  
  
"It's mostly Sammy." Bendy offered, leading her in. Toons of all types were present, some dressed up quite nicely, making Pippen feel under dressed. All she had were her reliable boots, and a vest for her job at the library that she had pocketed. As she looked around however, she noticed there were some toons in common clothes as well, mostly general workers like her who were off shift and looking to relax. The building was already packed, swing music filling the air.  
  
"Susie helps too." Alice hummed. "She lends her voice, and he tests his music on her first.."  
  
"They sound like a good team." Pippen offered.  
  
"The best." Alice smiled. "They have their bumps like any relationship, but they're quite a team when they aren't fighting. It's like most relationships. They aren't perfect, but they bring the best out of one another." She glanced towards Pippen with a meaningful look. The imp cocked her head, uncertainty darting through her, the angel simply smiling and looking away.  
  
"This way, Dollface." Bendy declared, grabbing her hand and guiding her to an unused corner of the dance floor. He started putting her through the paces, cajoling and encouraging her along the way. Slowly, she began to loosen up and enjoy herself, even as the moves got a little more complex. He was a pretty good teacher, moving on once he was sure she was ready. It could have been out of consideration for her, or just because he didn't like messing up when he danced. It could have been either one, she told herself. But if felt like the first.  
  
"That's it, Dollface! There ya go!" Bendy cheered, the pair grinning like fools. She was more confident with him, even when doing something so new, the pair clearly enjoying themselves. They parted as the song ended, a bit winded but delighted.  
  
"That was fun." Pippen admitted, laughing a bit as they stepped aside for a moment, waiting for the band to sort out the players and next song. Some of the patrons were fetching drinks, either fruit based or alcoholic depending on their personal leanings, happy chatter emanating from the crowd. More than a couple of the other patrons greeted Bendy, who was also a regular at the business, and more than a couple females shot Pippen an odd look or two. She didn't catch most of them, and the ones she did she didn't really put much thought into. Some people were just weird, or so she thought.  
  
"I told you, you'd have a great time." Bendy declared cheerfully, leaning into the wall with her. He leaned a bit closer, a bright smile on his face. "I had a great time too.~"  
  
She flushed, tail twisting nervously around her legs as she grinned a bit. "Really? We were pretty slow compared to everyone else. I've heard how well you dance, Bendy..."  
  
"So?" He hummed, his own tail looping once around hers, a mischievous glint to his eyes as she blushed harder. "I am a good dancer, but it's fun having a partner to dance with that you like. Sometimes you want to be the one everyone looks at, but sometimes it's fun being the apple of a single person's eye."  
  
Pippen flushed harder, her own tail uncurling around her leg, but not moving away from his tail. He took this as a go ahead, his tail curling even more into hers, the devil scooting closer.  
  
"I imagine it's more fun showing off to everyone your hard earned skill than putting a new person through the paces." Pippen offered, though she was starting to flounder for words. She felt warm and happy, hyper aware of their tails curled together, and how close the devil had gotten to her.  
  
"Mmm.. sometimes." Bendy hummed. "But not today."  
  
"Why not?" She asked, looking to him, realizing how close his face was to hers. Her face was hot, her heart beating fast in her chest.  
  
"Because." He began, as if he were stating an obvious fact. "I'm with you."  
  
He closed the space between them, his lips gently pressing into her own. Her heart jumped as her eyes widened, before sliding shut of their own accord, trying to comprehend the explosion of emotions through her chest as she shyly kissed back. She cursed her inexperience as she did, though part of her was giddy with the idea of him being her first.  
  
They slowly parted, Bendy's grin wide with delight, though he didn't move far from her. He pressed his forehead into hers, Pippen flushing harder as he did, her heart beat vibrating through her entire body. Their tails were curled together a bit tighter, the devil smirking a bit wider as he murmured softly to her. "Listen.. I want to go steady, Dollface."  
  
"S-Steady." Pippen echoed, still flushing hard, hesitating before nodding, not even thinking about her response. Things were starting to fall into place, understanding spreading through her. A _lot_ of her past uncertainty was made clear now, her mind a whirl with the realization. This entire time she hadn't even realized the devil had stolen her heart. She quickly stumbled over her answer, cursing herself moments later. "I- I mean i-if you're sure."  
  
"Of course I'm sure." He purred, rubbing his forehead into hers, eyelids at half mast as he grinned at her. Her inexperience was showing, though he had not guessed she was someone who had never had a partner before. He took her hand in his own, not even noticing as a fresh song began. He'd been putting it together for a while now, though it had really hit home when he saw Pidge getting too close to her. He wanted to be the one she looked at with such bright eyes like she was now. "You won't regret it, Dollface. I promise."  
  
"I didn't have the slightest thought that I would." Pippen hummed honestly, feeling giddy and light. For a moment, she could forget everything, forget the secrets she still held, forget her mixed heritage, the investigation by the Association of Historical Knowledge she was now part of.. Just, everything. For a moment, the weight she had been carrying fell away, Pippen sighing and shyly nuzzling her forehead against his, beaming back at him as he grinned wide.  
  
The music continued to play around them, the crowd returned to the dance floor, the action all around them not distracting either of them from the other. Once the next song was queuing up, Bendy tugged her out onto the dance floor, giddily showing her more steps and moves, the pair absorbed in one another. Distantly, Pippen was aware of Alice having joined Susie in singing, the pair singing quite beautifully together in hindsight, though she was far more absorbed by her dancing partner, and their recent development, the giddiness carrying her through to the end of the song.  
  
Once the end was reached, they agreed to step outside to cool off, the building having warmed up thanks to the number of patrons present. Even outside they stood close together, tails curling together once they came to rest, Pippen still on cloud nine. She had never had anyone express this kind of interest in her, and had never felt this kind of interest in anyone herself. For both conditions to coincide like this.. It was like a quiet blessing for the rancher.  
  
Pippen looked up, eyes drifting across the river that was just in front of the building, which was on the edge of the eastern portion of the city. Bendy was talking, peppering sweet words into his speech occasionally, but suddenly she was deaf to his words, her eyes widening. Across the river, she spotted three familiar silhouettes, her stomach twisting with anxiety. The tall figure of a leprechaun, a sailor, and the low form of a toon spider. They weren't looking across the river, not initially, until Charley glanced across. His eyes met hers, she was certain they did despite the width of the river, and she could feel hatred and anger burning in his gaze.  
  
Reality came tumbling back all of a sudden, Bendy falling silent as he felt her tail tighten around his. He looked up, bristling in defiance as he glared at the Butcher Gang, refusing to be frightened by the. Which was all well and good. Bendy could possibly handle the trio with his experience and ability to outwit and evade danger but..  
  
The Butcher Gang was not the only danger that came attached to Pippen. The Butcher Gang was at the bottom of the list of potential danger she brought to the table, and that was not even accounting for her human half. Humans, which he had expressed fear in. Human, which were monsters to the toon population.  
  
_'You're getting too attached.'_ Glory's warning voice echoed through her head, Pippen wobbling a bit with guilt. He had been right, but she had blown him off, believing she knew better. She wasn't even sure when Bendy had manged to steal her heart. Maybe even when the warning was given, it was too late. She couldn't say.  
  
A rush of warmth darted through her as Bendy took her hand, curling protectively in front of her, glaring at the Butcher Gang. Fortunately they weren't near a bridge, so the chances of an encounter were extremely low. There was no sign of Finnbar either, the gang wisely keeping the bird out of sight for the most part. They're encounter with Pippen had likely taught them to be more careful. In spite of her guilt, she felt better with him next to her.  
  
"It's OK, Dollface. Those creeps won't try anything." Bendy murmured reassuringly. "They know the dance hall is too well guarded for them to come start trouble. We'll stay and head home with Sammy and Susie too. They won't try anything when they're outnumbered." He spoke with experience, the Devil gently nuzzling his cheek into her own. She pressed back into his affection, determination rippling through her. She would tell him. She would need time, but she would tell him.. and hopefully not destroy everything in one fell swoop. At least she had people she could turn to for advice now..  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
That night, Pippen was plagued by nightmares, as had become steadily more and more common for her.  
  
_Bendy smiled to her, the pair of them seated in on of the fields on Boris farm. The sun was bright, and in the distance the sheep baahed and moved about peacefully._  
  
When she had first arrived in Tunis, she had thought the nightmares were based in stress, since she had so much to lose and needed to hide but..  
  
_She couldn't really work out what they were talking about, but they were happy, laughter and smiles coming from both of them. The light was dimming a bit, but that could have been due to a cloud, a common enough occurrence. She didn't pay it any heed, though a creeping chill was slowly working it's way up her back, growing worse with each moment as the light steadily bled away.  
_  
The nature of the nightmares had steadily become more and more specific. A theme that made her sick to her core.  
  
_Bendy's face twisted to uncertainty, looking up towards the sky. His eyes widened as he pointed upwards, before a blue of black and edges of red cut between them. It was massive, battering her away, sending her sprawling as a terrible sound filled the air. When she finally sat up again, the shadow was gone, but Bendy.. Bendy was on the ground, red splattered everywhere, marring the perfect white marking of his face, which was twisted into a look of betrayal and shock._  
  
_Horror consumed her as the image blurred, her mind refusing to process the scene. The sounds of the field were warping and sharpening, twisting into unnatural mockery of what they once were, as the screech of a terrible fiend from the past filled her ears, the shadow descending towards her frozen form-  
_  
"YAH!" Pippen yelped, managing to catch herself before a full scream escaped her. The nightmares had been growing worse and worse, and had begun to feature people she knew, in particular Bendy. People she feared she could not protect, who she could not bear the idea of being injured. People she feared her presence endangered.  
  
She was shaking hard, Pippen holding herself tightly, biting back tears. She slowly slid out of her bed, pacing into the kitchen as quietly as possible to get a drink of water for her dry mouth. She couldn't get the final image of Bendy out of her mind, and as she drank her water, her eyes kept drifting towards his room. She got a second glass, hand shaking as the faucet ran.  
  
"Pippen?" The imp nearly leapt out of her skin as the familiar voice sounded behind her, quickly turning to see a sleepy Bendy. He was wearing light blue Pjs, with little sheep on them, a contrast to the red Pjs Henry had bought her, with little owls on them. He was rubbing his eye, but his expression was concerned. "I heard a yell.."  
  
"I-I'm sorry.." Pippen whispered into her glass, looking down in shame.  
  
"Nightmare?" He asked. Usually it was Henry who checked on her when she had a nightmare, as if the mannish toon had a built in radar for disturbances in his household. But Bendy wasn't unaware of the nightmares that plagued her. She nodded, a sympathetic look crossing his face. "What about?"  
  
Pippen bowed her head, hands still shaking, and Bendy gently set his over hers, helping to still them. He didn't expect an answer, so when her soft voice came, it took him by surprise. " _You_. I dreamed you were hurt.. seriously and.. I couldn't.. do anything.." Tears were starting to form in her eyes, tears of shame and fear. Her inaction, her inability to protect him, even if it was a dream, disturbed her.  
  
"Oh, Pips.." Bendy murmured, nuzzling his head into hers, taking the cup and setting it down so it wouldn't fall from her trembling hands and break. He took her hands again, eyes warm and sympathetic. "Nothings going to happen to me. Nothings going to happen to you. We're all safe here, I promise."  
  
Pippen looked up to him, her watery eyes unreadable as she pressed closer to him. They weren't safe, and that was her fault. She couldn't stop herself from pressing closely to him for comfort however, the devil wrapping an arm around her and guiding her to the couch, where the pair sat down together. He intended to stay with her until she had settled down, the pair talking quietly. She didn't tell him much more about her nightmare, or what was in it, but just talking was clearly helping her settle down.  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
"Wait, you're what?!" Pidge practically squawked as Pippen flushed harder, the pair seated in the libraries backroom. Pidge was waiting for Dewey to arrive, the inkwell late thanks to a doctor's appointment. Pippen hadn't even been aware that object type toons had doctors, but in hindsight it made sense. They were alive, even if they were more magic based than the more biological type toons, and so needed to keep an eye on their health as well.  
  
"Me and Bendy are.. going steady." Pippen stated once more, sitting up a bit more. "I.. I have strong feelings for him, and he has expressed the same about me and.." She flushed, uncertain how much she was required to say. Her inexperience was really biting her in the butt. The only romance she had experience with was between Stryx, and helping them foster bonds, be it for the mating season or the occasional, more permanent kind. Stryx weren't naturally monogamous, but sometimes pairs happened..  
  
"I-I want to tell him the truth. I don't want there to be such dire secrets hanging between us. But.. I.. Don't know how to tell him." Pippen finished.  
  
"...You'd be better off not telling him, and cutting things off." Pidge muttered, crossing his arms. "Toons like him, they've been raised on the new propaganda from the Angelic and 'Scientific' Councils." He made quotation marks with his fingers as he mentioned the scientific council, which had a reputation of no longer being quite so scientific and had become more unpredictable and dangerous with their 'experiments', and pushing whatever the Angelic council wanted labelled as 'facts'.  
  
"But.. So were you. And you see me differently.." Pippen murmured, deflating a bit at his words. The idea of breaking things up so quickly, especially with the thought of how good it made her feel and how happy it had made him.. It hurt terribly, as if someone were trying to tear her heart out of her chest, slowly and methodically. She couldn't do that. How would she even explain that, in the wild event that she did?  
  
"I had sources that taught me to question what I was being taught." Pidge pointed out.  
  
"So did Bendy." Pippen countered. "Henry doesn't buy into the official story about humans either. I know he doesn't, I've seen it on his face."  
  
"Did you? Or did you see what you were hoping to find?" Pidge questioned gently. He felt cruel asking her this, but.. If he didn't, than he would let her set herself up to be hurt, and hurt severely.  
  
"... I am sure." Pippen answered after a moment. "I know Henry well enough to recognize when he is not in agreement with what is being said."  
  
"OK." Pidge murmured, giving her that point. "But does he know? Would you tell him, if you could get the time to do so?"  
  
".. Yeah." Pippen answered. "I.. Of everyone I know who does not know everything yet, Henry is near the top of the list of people I have faith could take the truth. I know that he knows I'm not a normal toon, there's too much strangeness that's occurred with me.. He isn't stupid. He's polite enough not to push too hard, but.. He won't have just forgotten everything just because I have a job now.."  
  
"OK. So. Try Henry first." Pidge offered. "I could help, if you want. Maybe having a 'normal' toon around will help soften the blow."  
  
"Maybe. I.. I need to find out his work schedule and the like before I make any decisions.. " Pippen muttered, shifting with anxiety. So far, everyone who had been brought in on the secret had been by happen stance, with Dewey working it out on his own, and Pidge being brought into the circle by Glory, who was very careful and picky. "I will have to wait for Alice's assignment to end either way."  
  
"Ah, true." Pidge hummed. "The Council always drags it's feet when it comes to temporary assignments like yours. It will probably be a couple days until someone finally sits down and looks over the reports. You'd think they'd care more, given how much they push the matter, but honestly? It's just a control thing. I swear, it's like they want to make angels of toons not born as one."  
  
"By the way, have.. Have you heard about the 'dummy' angels?" Pippen asked, referring to a rumor she had heard. "The empty ones, who just.. appear out of nowhere."  
  
Pidge was silent for several moments, before nervously nodding. "I.. I've met one. There's more than that, however. The council.. They're assigned to those who are undeniably council loyalist. Information doesn't get out a lot but.. No one is sure where these new angels are coming from. It's like they're coming out of thin air. No talk of which family lines they're from, no signs of them in the registry or where they received their training. The on I met was still being trained in matters we're taught as children.. I.. I don't like it. It's not right. Something feels terribly wrong about them. I mean, they're nice enough, but.."  
  
"But they don't feel natural." Pippen murmured.  
  
"No. Don't.. Don't talk about them outside here, Pippen. It would get eyes on you to begin with, but.. it would be worse because of the type of toon you are. If they realize you know this much about the strange happenings in the Cloud City and Castle City.." He shook his head. "Nothing will be able to protect you."  
  
"I understand." Pippen murmured, swallowing nervously. "I don't talk about what happens in here either way. Or at least, very rarely, and not without a lot of consideration before hand.."  
  
"Yeah." Pidge sighed, looking towards the door. Dewey was unusually late, even for a doctors appointment. He was helping Pippen work on more translations, with him working on what might have been a politician's personal journal, while Pippen translated the book she had brought in on Dracostryx. Her work was going considerably faster, since she had a good familiarity with both scripts thanks to her work.  
  
"Is this.. What word is this?" He asked abruptly as he turned back to his work, staring at the unusual word. " 'Nox?'."  
  
"Mmm. Yeah, that's Nox. It's the official term breeders use for Stryx who have black feathers as their base. Ranges from grey-ish black to black and more of a blue-black. There are four main types, known as the base coats. Soil, Sand, Snow, and Nox, each denoting the base feather colors. It is possible for Stryx to present with silver, reds, blues, purples, and greens, but it depends on certain markings, and if they carry the gene for silver, cardinal, jay, indigo, or Olive. The shade often depends on what their 'base' coat is. I've also heard of very colorful birds that break these 'rules', but they usually have a very rare gene we call the 'spectrum' gene, which allows for that wild coloration." Pippen explained, eagerly launching into an explanation of Stryx genetics and the like. It was her real job, and passion, after all.  
  
Pidge listened intently, even though he only needed to know what Nox meant. The info could help him later on in the book, or other books, and it taught him more of Pippen's world. Not of Wyvera, or at least not that much about Wyvera, but of Pippen's personal world in particular, the world of a Stryx breeder.  
  
"Ah- Sorry I started jabbering again." Pippen muttered, flushing.  
  
"Oh, no, that's OK! It's very interesting." Pidge quickly offered, smiling to her. She smiled back despite her embarrassment. "Stryx sound like a very flexible species when it comes to their appearance."  
  
"They are." Pippen purred. "Though they are surprisingly sensitive to inbreeding. If they share a grandsire or granddam on either the dam or sire's side, there's a chance of severe repercussions. It's even worse if you share a dam or sire, and Galyx help you if you're crazy enough to breed siblings. Most breeders wouldn't dream of doing that.."  
  
"Really?" Pidge murmured, listening to her speak. She spoke with passion and knowledge, clearly happy to share what she knew of her beloved birds.  
  
"Yup. Crippled wings, brittle bones, blindness, stillbirths.. The response is severe. It's rare that a breeder will permit inbreeding given how likely the chicks will suffer. Most of the inbreeding I've seen were due to accidents, or chance inbreeding in the wild when a particularly 'busy' grandparent or parent whose children from another breeding accidentally meet. Signs of inbreeding usually shatters any chance of another breeding between those birds, since Stryx, like most animals, are keen on healthy offspring." Pippen hummed.  
  
"It's only in non-wild situations you'll see repeat inbreeding between pairs, and usually the rancher takes the eggs so the parents don't see the chicks who come out unhealthy.." She shook her head. "We don't do that kind of business at Sunna. At least, not on purpose. We had one accident with a contractor who stayed with us for the breeding season, and let our Chiros have a go with each other. Found out the hard way they shared a grandsire. Poor Tiberius was heartbroken when the babies came out stillborn.."  
  
She paused, eyes sad. "It's.. really the saddest thing in the world, you know? Especially with Chiros. The bat Stryx have live births, like most mammals, so.. there's no egg between you and the dead. You see the Stryx they could have been.."  
  
"I'm sorry for your lost.." Pidge offered after a moment, even though he had a feeling this was an old incident from how she spoke on it.  
  
"Thank you... We're a lot more careful now. That was one of our first year mistakes." Pippen sighed.  
  
"We're? You mean you and your 'senior staff', right?" Pidge asked, glancing towards the door again. Where was Dewey? Not that he minded talking to Pippen, but it was odd for him to run late. The Inkwell was a stickler for being on time.  
  
"Yeah. And Gru, my business partner. He's my brother from another mother.. and father." Pippen shrugged. "We aren't blood related, but he's like a brother too me, and having a last name makes it easier to operate in Wyvera. Besides, he has his eyes on one of the senior staff, even if he can't admit it."  
  
"Sounds interesting." Pidge offered.  
  
"It is. We call it controlled chaos on the ranch. It looks like a mess when you first approach, but everyone has a purpose or task they're doing and everything is technically under control." Pippen sighed, a note of sadness in her voice. She missed the ranch, even if she did have a habit of traveling across Wyvera occasionally. The ranch was always her base of operations, where the familiar faces and sights were, and where she was most comfortable.  
  
"Sorry I'm late." Dewey called as he entered the room, sliding through the door, his expression troubled. He was carrying a newspaper, a special edition with colored ink. It likely hadn't been cheap, but it also meant something important had gone down for the newspaper to be printing it's pictures in full color. "Pippen, could I borrow your eyes?"  
  
"Sure?" Pippen offered, concern leaking into her tone. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"I'm not sure.. I need you're word on the matter." Dewey muttered, walking to the table they sat at. He carefully pushed their work aside, the pair helping him after a moment. He opened the newspaper, spreading the center page open, revealing a large picture, the caption beneath reading " **MASSIVE BIRDS SIGHTED OVER EASTERN TUNIS, CIVILIANS UNNERVED"**. The picture was a shot of the sky, two impossible large birds with dragon like tails displayed, far larger than even Glory.  
  
"Oh, no." Pippen whispered, hand going to the picture. She stiffened as it landed on the darker of the pair, shaking her head wildly. "No, no no! _HE_ shouldn't be back! He's supposed to be dead for at least another twenty years!"  
  
"Pippen?" Pidge questioned, watching the imp panic, pushing away from the table. He glanced to the images, uncertainty darting through him.  
  
The birds appeared to be of similar breed, both sporting long bodies and even longer tails, their figures vaguely reminding him of vultures at first glance. Their wings were long, longer and a bit thinner than Glory's, their chest less pronounced than the Harpia's. Their bodies were longer as well, the heads more compact and angular than Glory's eagle like head.  
  
The one closest to the camera was a deep shade of black, the color even deeper over his head, secondary tail, and ends of his wings. All along the wing feathers were bright red tips, dark black speckles present along the edges of the darkest portion of his body, and a scattering f some along his body. His undersides was a spiky plum red with a patch of deep gold on his chest, the color coating his throat, chest, lower legs, under the primary tail feathers, and part of the tail, which had spiked feathers along it. The feathers around it's head were noticeably more robust than the rest of it's body, two separate points spiking up like feathery horns. A red mark was barely visible around blood red eyes, the bird glaring down from the sky at the camera with vicious, hateful eyes. It's beak and legs were gold, a sharp contrast to it's dark form, the black talons aimed towards the camera, white fangs bared.  
  
The second one was smaller than the first, though it was technically large for it's breed. Along its head, the ends of its wings, and tail were plum red feathers, a lighter shade than the underside of the first, the color fading out into it's grey-black feathers. It's underside was a deep golden yellow, covering just above the jaw line, part of it's throat, and along the underside of both wings, stopping just at the far edge of the wing, near its wing thumb. The wings, and both sets of tail feathers, were tipped first in a dull red, like dried blood, and a deep grey, lighter than it's base coat. Atop it's head was a large, uniform crest, like a cockatoos almost, tipped in silver like the wings, the crest spread forward as it's black and grey beak was open with defiance, showing black fangs. It's lets were the same shade as black as it's beak, while around its throat and shoulders were gold brindling, the final mark being a thick grey ring around it's throat, like a prisoner's manacle.  
  
Like the first, the second had a slightly different red marking around deranged green eyes, the second seeming far more dangerous than the first due to the look in it's eyes. Both were aimed towards the camera, putting on a threatening display to frighten the photo taker, but not appearing to actually be about to attack. They were too high, and the angle of their bodies didn't suggest they were coming down.  
  
"Pippen? Pippen!" Dewey grabbed her shoulders, his solid hands bringing her back to the present. He started with simple questions, trying to anchor her in the present. "Are those Stryx, Pippen?"  
  
"Y-Yes." She answered. "They're both Gryphs. Both ranging on the large size, the darker is larger than normal, both with scalloped tails. Second has a crest mutation." She spoke robotic ally, clutching her tail in terror. "I- I know the first one. And if it truly is him, Tunis is in terrible danger."  
  
"Who is he?" Dewey asked after a moment, taking note of everything she said. Gryphs were the largest of the Stryx breeds, and arguably the strongest, though it always came down to the fight in the bird, and not just it's breed.  
  
" _Malice_." Pippen whispered. "He- That is no simple Stryx. He may have the body of a Horned Gryph, but the spirit inside is not a Stryx. That bird is pure _evil_."  
  
"Evil?!" Pidge echoed, shocked by the use of the word. Pippen was always very specific about how everything was more than black and white, good and evil, and that things could rarely be put into such a simple category. If she was breaking her own rules here..  
  
"Evil." Pippen echoed. "That beast has been slain so many times.. Critically wounded, slain, it's body destroyed.. and yet every thirty to forty years, it reappears to bring terror to Wyvera once more. It targets bonded Stryx, or Stryx with riders or companions.. tortures them, torments them, traps them and wounds them, plays with them so slowly as it describes everything he wants to do.. and then, when the game is at it's end, he kills both Stryx and companion, and feasts. Very few escape, and those who do.. are tormented in their nightmares by him. They say they get worse when he's about to come back.." She trailed off shaking her head. "But I didn't think he was in Tunis.. There are no Stryx here, or tradition of partnership with Dracostryx. I don't understand why he would come here."  
  
"Are you sure? Perhaps it is just another Stryx that looks similar-" Dewey offered, though he doubted it. There had been something when she touched that picture, a sense of a lingering presence even in the photo. She had recognized it instantly.  
  
"No. It's him." Pippen stated with certainty. "That monster is here. That's.." She paused realization bleeding into her voice. "That's why I've been having nightmares so frequently.. That is his curse to those of us who escape. And they always grow worse when he nears once more."  
  
"..." Dewey glanced to Pidge, the pair sharing a concerned look. "Do you know who the second one is?"  
  
"No. I don't know why he has a second Gryph with him. He's a hateful, vicious beast beneath a mask of a suave and confident Stryx. I.. I hope it's not a female. I fear what horrors a sire like Malice would produce." Pippen whispered, staring in fear at the photo. "I- I need to investigate this-"  
  
"No." Both Dewey and Pidge cut in, surprising her.  
  
"I can not allow this, especially not until you have explained everything you know of this beast, Pippen." Dewey stated sternly.  
  
"You can't go after him. What will you tell Bendy and Henry?" Pidge countered as well, though he was more focused on keeping her safe than concerned for her cover story. Henry and Bendy _especially_ , just made things more complicated. But they were useful here, in halting her idea.  
  
"I-" Pippen paused, swallowing. She slowly began, focusing on Dewey's request. "This part is mostly hearsay but.. Malice is a Stryx believed to have come from a prominent bloodline, though his egg was initially believed to be stillborn. The dam who was given the egg to watch over refused to give it up to the her owners, and eventually it showed signs of life. Than it hatched. Malice acted like a common Stryx, for the most part, while young, until his training was complete and he knew how to fly, how to hunt, and how to tend to himself. Than he slew everyone, including the dam who had taken care of his egg."  
  
She paused, swallowing. "From there, he began a reign of terror, slaughtering Stryx and riders with wild abandon. It's quickly noted that he targets Stryx with particularly tight bonds, or riders and their Stryx who are close. Hunt orders are put out to take them down, and after several years Malice was felled."  
  
"But he didn't stay down." Pidge muttered.  
  
"No." Pippen murmured. "Twenty years later, reports of a Gryph matching his description and habits start coming in. The fighters who helped to fell the first Malice, and the few survivors who escaped his grasp, had been reporting nightmares involving the bird since that day, and had only intensified until the year Malice returned. Many die, until he is finally slain.. And then thirty years later, it happens again. And then twenty five years after that one is felled. And again, and again, always ranging between twenty to thirty years.  
  
"And he remembers people. He remembers things that he shouldn't have known, like his past deaths, past encounters during his past lives, and so much more. Eventually it was worked out that it was truly Malice, a singular Stryx, who kept returning from death in defiance of the natural order of the world, hell bent on sewing misery and death where ever he goes. It's believed he is not a Atryx, and never was, at least not inside. They believe he is a spirit of malice, of hatred and violence, born from the collected negative emotions from the years of wars in the norht that had proceeded his hatching. No one has worked out how to permanently end him." Pippen ended.  
  
"And you encountered him." Dewey muttered. "You mentioned having nightmares.."  
  
"I.. Yes." Pippen mumbled. "Malice is my curse. Like a few other survivors I know, he's been haunting my nightmares since the day we encountered him. I was thirteen, still working under Moonli Ranch's tutelage. I was out on a job and.. Cecil and I ran into him. We were alone and ..." She shook her head. "I don't know how we pulled it off, but we survived."  
  
"Cecil?" Pidge echoed. "Isn't he the Tyto you said is blind?"  
  
"Yeah." Pippen muttered. She smiled weakly. "But he trusted me to guide him through the entire matter and.. we made it."  
  
"You said he should be dead still." Dewey muttered. "Did you two..?"  
  
"Slay him? Yes. By sheer, stupid luck, we outsmarted him." Pippen answered, though it was clear she did not want to speak on the matter, clutching her scarred hand close."I- We can't allow them to lurk Tunis unchallenged. I do not know who this second Stryx is, but if Malice is permitting them to travel with him, they are likely doing his bidding. And even though he prefers breaking apart bonded Stryx and Stryx and their riders.. He isn't above slaughtering people just for crossing his path."  
  
"But we can't just throw you into this situation blind." Pidge argued. "Especially if he has a curse on you. Spirits that have laid curses on other beings are acutely aware of the presence of their victims, once they are close enough. He will be on you before you know where he is. Glory may be larger than Cecil, but... Can he take Malice?"  
  
"I.. I don't know." Pippen answered. "I don't think Malice has a breath ability, but he had control over lightning based magic when Cecil and I encountered him. It made the encounter with him a nightmare, and this second Gryph.." She shook her head. "It's too many unknown variables. There's no way of knowing how it would go, but I would not want to pit Glory in a battle against both of them with so little info on the second bird. If possible, I'd prefer to undermine whatever control he has over the second one to take them out of the fight. There are bad Stryx, but very few who are at the depths Malice is, or OK with those depths of depravity."  
  
"Perhaps I could investigate the pair." Pidge offered, Pippen looking up in surprise. "You've told me a lot about Stryx over the past several days.. and if you know he wears a mask of a different personality at points, than there has to be a way to safely approach him."  
  
"Only if you are a Stryx, with no bonds to a companion of sorts or rider. They are the only ones who have reported encountering Malice and not being attacked or toyed with. Sometimes he'll get close to bonded pairs to manipulate them and toy with their heads but.. it's usually single Stryx who survive the encounters, and usually the less friendly or naive types. Unless he's hungry, and they don't seem useful to him.. That's the rumor at least, among the Stryx." Pippen murmured.  
  
"What would be more useful to him than a Stryx who knows the area, and has no bonds to anyone here to hold them back?" Pidge argued.  
  
"But you aren't a Stryx-"  
  
"Not yet." Pidge declared, turning to Dewey. "But surely Dewey has a spell or two that could make me into one. The Association of Historical Knowledge is well known for holding onto spells along with historical documents. And as an angel, I have a natural resistance to curses. I won't be an easy target for Malice if he isn't putting in a concentrated effort."  
  
"I- I don't know." Pippen muttered, though Dewey seemed thoughtful.  
  
"A spy among our enemies.. You could help to break the group apart." Dewey muttered. "And, since they are in the east.. you could make contact with some potential allies.. Some friends I have been meaning to get into contact with.."  
  
"Allies?" Pippen questioned.  
  
"Yes. The Elves of the Redwood forest. It is a small kingdom of it's own, far to the east. They do not have a king like Tunis, but they work through a council of elders, and are meant to help preserve the balance of Tunis as an outside force. Not only on a political level, but on a environmental level as well. With the disappearance of the king, things have been tense between them and the councils, since they will not bow to the Councils, and do not approve of the Councils stepping in to take over the crown. The grand Elder of the council is in contact with the Association of Historical Knowledge, as they have a strong desire to preserve history. Elves believe strongly in learning from mistakes of the past, be it their own or others." Dewey explained.  
  
"A-Are you sure about that, Dewey? They.. Do not have a good relationship with Angels, since the Angelic Council is at the forefront of pushing for them to bow down.." Pidge muttered nervously.  
  
"They will be wary of you, but I will provide you a pair of letters that will see you through safely, and make it clear who you work for. With their aid, you will be able to work out the details in regards to the Gryphs, and possibly even a way to deal with them with the aide of the elves. We may not even need to endanger Pippen and Glory." Dewey answered.  
  
"I.. But we should.." Pippen shifted with unease in her seat. In Wyvera, when a dangerous being like Malice was loose, every able bodied Stryx rider and warrior would be expected to help, unless circumstances did not allow. It felt wrong for her to sit idle and leave the matter to people less experienced than her self.  
  
"Remain safe." Dewey cut in. "You are our only source of real knowledge about Stryx, and Wyvera. Without you, we loose a critical amount of knowledge." Pippen bowed her head a bit in defeat, the inkwell continuing gently. "I will be sure to inform them of everything you have told me, and provided so far. The elves are not foolish people. They will tackle this with care, I promise."  
  
"If.. If you're sure.." Pippen mumbled.  
  
"As such, Pidge, we will conduct the interviews we had planned immediately. Afterwards, I will need to borrow you, Pippen, so we can work on a disguise for Pidge if he does approach the pair. It will work best thanks to your knowledge and familiarity with the species. If you could draw an example of a Stryx we could base our spell off of while I conduct the interview, that would be the best." Dewey declared, Pidge sliding out of his seat.  
  
"I-I understand." Pippen agreed, pulling out a fresh page to get to work on his request. She had a bird in mind already, one of the ranch Stryx who rarely strayed from the mountains, and was not well known by many. A bird with simple markings, who she could picture in her mind easily, something she was fairly certain was necessary for such spells. She set to work as Dewey walked Pidge to his office to begin a firing off questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize I haven't done this yet, so i want to thank everyone for their kudos and bookmarks, and for the support I have received on the story (Talking to you mum ;) )  
> And Im not dead, just slowly plotting the drama
> 
> I've gotten the first reference chart almost done, at least for the Wyverians who have been mentioned / featured while the tunis lot will have their own separate one  
> So that's coming along at least  
> Thank you for your time, and stay safe out there!


	14. A storm approaches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've slowed down a bit, but to make up for it this today is a double chapter day,  
> And there maybe a third chapter in like  
> Two hours maybe?  
> So it will be another double post day  
> Maybe triple  
> I got a lot of work done bc im finally chilling out again enough to work
> 
> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

The next day, Pippen made her way to the library alone for the first time, spirits only mildly lifted. She had received a call that morning that Alice was no longer assigned to her, and that she had been deemed 'rehabilitated', so long as she didn't back slide into any of her 'bad habits'. They couldn't tell her what those bad habits were, and didn't seem to know any details of her case in the slightest or care, repeating what seemed to be a well rehearsed set of lines and shooting down any questions Pippen tried to raise.   
  
So, she was officially a fully free toon, no longer living under Alice's watchful eye. It felt strange not to have the cheerful angel with her, but knowing Alice's recently developed habits she would likely be showing up at the library to continue helping some of the kids there with homework. Either way, Pippen would still get to see her and converse with her if she wanted to, but she no longer had to work around Alice to reach her goals.   
  
The news would have cheered her up considerably if not for the looming shadow of Malice, and the mystery Gryph who flew with him. That beast should not have been alive again, and she could not figure out anyway he could be back so soon.. Unless someone had purposefully brought him back. The idea terrible, but it was the only real option she could think of.. But the last place Malice had fallen, and the best place to raise him again from Pippen's understanding, was in Wyvera, and was a considerable distance from Moonli and Sunna Mountain. He wouldn't have been able to get through the path, not with the angelic barrier, and not with Agatha and Gru watching over the Wyverian end.   
  
Pippen sighed, hand going to her vest pocket. She paused as her fingers slid across a piece of paper, pulling out a small note. She slowly unfolded it as she waited for the crossing meter to signal she could walk across the street, a smile crossing her face. The neat handwriting was familiar, spelling out a simple message that read _'where ever you find this, I'm still thinking of you <3'._ There was no saying when the devil had slipped the note into her pocket, but she was grateful for such a simple, sweet gesture.   
  
The imp tucked the note back into her pocket, walking the rest of the way to the library with a bit more pep. There was still the looming matter of how to reveal everything to Bendy, but his simple act of kindness overshadowed it. It only made her all the more determined to find a way to make things work.   
  
Henry hadn't been very surprised when Bendy had proudly announced the news to him, though he had laid out some very clear rules to follow so long as they were under his roof. Nothing too crazy or out there, and while Bendy joked they would just break the rules when he was at work, they all knew they most likely wouldn't. Pippen wasn't the kind of person to move _that_ fast, and both parties wanted to take their time and enjoy the relationship as it developed.   
  
Her fingers slid across the other piece of paper in her vest. It was a detailed drawing of Alfons, one of the Tyto Stryx on the ranch, and the one who's form Pidge would be borrowing. It was small boon she was so good at drawing Stryx, since Wyvera did not have 'cameras' like Tunis. There were methods of capturing images with magic, but the fastest and easiest way for the ranches personal record keeping was to draw the Stryx itself with their filed information. It meant most of the information was contained in one place, instead of having to find a coordinating crystal or the like to see the birds particular attributes.   
  
Out of all the Stryx, Pippen was sure Alfons wouldn't mind. He was a quiet, friendly male who wouldn't mind lending a wing or talon to someone else, even for such an odd request. He would probably even like the idea of a heroic version of him facing the danger of Malice and his companion, while it was technically not him. It would make for a fun story for him to play with and confuse people with in a lightly mischievous way. Assuming Pidge survived.  
  
Pippen shook her head, putting on a positive expression as she walked into the library, greeting Ms. Buttercup. The rabbit was at her usual post at the front of the library, and happily waved back, murmuring a soft greeting back to Pippen as the imp walked towards the backroom. They had kept the head librarian out of their mess so far. Dewey didn't want to get the kindly rabbit, or her library, into trouble because of his business, and so long as Ms. Buttercup had real deniability, the Angelic Council wouldn't be able to come after her if the worst happened.   
  
As she walked towards the backroom, she looked around the library, spotting Alice. It didn't surprise her that she was there, since she had taken to helping out around the Library. What did surprise her was the fact she wasn't with a child today, but what appeared to be a young adult in a bizarre get up. They appeared to be a lizard toon of some sort, with frills of small spikes along his head and down the back of his bulbous head. He wore a ridiculous get up, a deep purple robe with a rope around the middle to hold it shut.   
  
She paused, looking over the pair. The Lizard was holding books on spells, a mix of high level and low level matters from what she understood, and seemed uneasy with Alice's presence. He was slowly warming up however, long tail, which stuck out from the bottom of his robe and lazily around his feet, beginning to thump with interest. As she watched, the pair made their way towards a section of the library meant for magical practice, a jab of concern darting through Pippen. Alice.. didn't know much about magic from what Pippen knew, other than the very basics like most toons did.  
  
Pippen paused as she watched them walk away, shifting with uncertainty. A nagging part of her told her to follow the pair, but she had work to do with Dewey and he was not one for tardiness.. Especially when one did not have a good reason for their suspicions. She would have to talk to Alice later. The angel was surely capable of taking care of herself. The imp reluctantly turned, walking into the backroom.   
  
Dewey was already in a back corner of the room, a complex mess of runes and spell symbols drawn on a large disposable piece of paper. He was going to destroy it, just like he had destroyed the spell that he had used to identify Pippen's origins, once they were done, and possibly even burn it on the outskirts of the city for extra precautions. The runes came together to form two large circles, one for the image Pippen had meticulously drawn, one for Pidge, and four small circles, which were meant for Dewey's and Pippen's hands. Dewey would be the primary spell caster, with Pippen offering her energy and knowledge of Stryx physiology to ensure the spell went through without a hitch.   
  
It was fortunate Dewey knew so much about spell work, and a natural reserve of magic. Pippen only knew some very basic spells, like simple illusions or fire spells. Then there were the small everyday spells, or everyday by Wyverian standards, to help with general life. She knew some more complex spells, but most of those were meant for fighting, and some were meant to be performed with a Stryx or Beast aiding her. With a Stryx, she was fairly formidable, but alone she was just a bit above a standard fighter. But then again, it all depended on the fight in the person, or so she had always been told.   
  
"Ah, there you are Pippen." Dewey greeted, standing up and turning to a nearby table. He picked up a piece of paper, passing it to her, trading her for the picture of Alfons. He hummed in approval, looking over the black and white drawing, a quick spell flattening the creases from the page. With that, he gently set down the page in the smaller of the two large circles. While he did this, she looked over the paper he had given her, which was a review of how the spell would work, what to expect, and how to recognize if things were going haywire. Dewey was covering all possible angles of the matter, as she expected he would.   
  
"Yeah. This looks pretty simple." She murmured, looking over the instructions. In all honesty, she was a bit nervous, since she didn't typically try and perform or help with such complex spells. That was more Gru's specialty, since he had a better inclination towards magical abilities and the like than she did. Where Pippen was formidable when performing magic with Stryx's aid, Gru was on an entirely different level. Fortunately for most people, Gru was far slower to anger and willingly fight another person compared to Pippen. He would try to diplomacy route far longer than Pippen would.   
  
"It is. The brunt of the magical work will be on me, but your part is just as crucial." Dewey reassured. "All you need to do is keep your Stryx in mind for the duration of the spell. Alfons, was it?"  
  
"Yeah." Pippen murmured. "I'm sure he won't mind Pidge borrowing his face. If worse comes to worse we can always just say he was Alfons twin brother who liked to use his name. It would entertain him, I imagine. Alfons, that is. Not Pidge. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."   
  
"I am sure it will not." Dewey hummed. "Pidge is a careful person, even more so now after his experience with the casino. He will take care when using some else's face for his investigation.   
  
"Yeah." Pippen muttered, still uncomfortable with the idea of sending Pidge, a person who had only had a weeks worth of lessons about Dracostryx under his belt.. And a hodge-podge of information at that, not anything super concrete. But she had to have faith in Pidge. How funny, an imp having faith in an angel. If she weren't so tense, she would have laughed at the irony of the thought.   
  
"Hey-!" Pidge called moments later, running into the room. He was panting lightly, sweating lightly. "Sorry I'm late- I- There was an angel patrol near my apartment and.. And it was people I knew. Not the good sort. I.. I'm sorry, I couldn't risk going out. I know the spell would protect me but I couldn't.." He broke off, bowing his head.  
  
"It's OK." Pippen murmured, sympathy bleeding into her tone, the angel looking up to her, eyes brightening a bit at her reassurance. "Those kinds of encounters can be difficult, even.. Even when they won't recognize you." She seemed to speak from experience, sighing softly and shaking her head.   
  
"I understand your hesitation, Pidge." Dewey offered diplomatically. "Even with a disguise, there is a chance they would pick up on your presence through your actions or behaviors. Even if they did not realize it was you. It was good of you to play it defensively."  
  
"Thank you, both of you." Pidge murmured, bowing his head. He glanced to the runes, than to Dewey. "So, is it ready?"  
  
"It is." Dewey answered, gesturing to the largest circle of runes. "I just need you to stand in that circle, and remain calm, no matter what you feel. You may feel strange, but rest assured you will come out unharmed."  
  
"Alright." Pidge murmured, nervously walking into the circle, taking deep breaths to calm down. Once he looked calm, Dewey gestured for Pippen to approach, the pair putting their hands onto the paper. Now that she touched it, she could feel it was thicker than common paper, and magically charged, perfect for conducting a spell. It was like the material one would use for a magic scroll, except they were not sealing a spell for later, and the paper was far larger.   
  
Dewey began to mutter the spell, the runes lighting up around their hands, the light spreading along lines connecting the hand spots to the other circles. Pippen shivered as the energy rippled through them, watching it course to the drawing and Pidge. It was a complex spell, and most of how it worked was a bit of a mystery to Pippen, but since she wasn't the leader for the spell she didn't need to keep track of all the details. She just needed to remember what Alfons looked like, from all angles.   
  
The glow surrounding Pidge only grew, Pippen realizing this was why they were in the very back of the backroom, behind so many shelves and the like. They were far less likely to be discovered by patrons of the library, and the energy of the spell would be mistaken for practice magic from the library's practice space. An unusual amount, but the library was the safest place to practice new spells in the city thanks to the special sections being designed with a number of built in safety measures, both physical and magical. It would not be unusual if this was a one time thing.   
  
It took a couple of moments, but the light finally faded, revealing Pidge's new form. He was a common sized Tyto, with simple flat feathers and a common tail fan of tail feathers and draconic tail. He was a normal, simple Tyto, with a tan feathers covering his body, a creamy under marking covering part of his chin, throat, chest, under wings, and most of his draconic tail and secondary tail feathers. His wing and both sets of tail feathers were lightly tipped in silver, a thin silver mark surrounding his eyes, while his beak and talons were gold, his grey silver, like it was in his normal form. Alfons eyes were naturally a yellow gold.   
  
Slowly, the pair stood, Pippen curiously eyeing the disguised angel. She slowly approached, staring at the Stryx doppelgänger. "How do you feel?"  
  
"I feel.. different." Pidge offered, slowly investigating his new body. It was new and solid, just like his transformation to his mannish disguise. He turned, smacking Pippen with a very solid tail, sending her sliding back a good foot. He quickly turned to her, guilt written across his face. As he did, his tail nearly took down a stack of boxes, Dewey catching them as Pidge skittered away. "S-Sorry!"  
  
"This new form is as solid as your other ones." Dewey warned. "You have essentially been gifted a form to shift too, at least for the next two months. The spell won't work forever, but I imagine you will not need it forever. You can still change to your other disguise, as a mannish toon, if you feel necessary, but you must take care not to accidentally switch to your true form. You must not think of changing without focusing on which form you want to take, or you will default to your true form."  
  
"I-I understand." The angel turned Stryx answered, shifting nervously as he tested his new body. He closed his eyes, and in a flash of light he returned to his mannish disguise, shaking his limbs lightly. He felt strange, but it passed, the toon sighing softly. "This will get tricky in a bad situation.."  
  
"You will have to take care." Dewey stated, walking towards another desk and pulling out three sealed letters. Two he handed to Pippen, and one to Pidge. "This is for the Elder of the council. Pippen, I want you to take this second one and give it to Glory, just as a precaution. The first is for you. Keep it in your pocket. I want you both to have these in the event that you are forced to flee. The Elves of the Redwood forest will provide you sanctuary, I am certain."  
  
Pippen took the envelopes quietly, hiding the envelopes in her pocket. She would have to give the second one to Glory when she visited him tonight. Since Alice was no longer tailing her, she was going to make more of a point to visit him and soothe the jealousy she knew was bubbling beneath the surface. She wanted to ensure he was in a good mood if she wanted to have a chance of introducing him to Bendy and Henry properly without a hitch.   
  
"Well than, I guess I'm off." Pidge murmured, glancing to Dewey. The inkwell nodded, glancing towards the back room exit.   
  
"Yes. Ms. Buttercup believes you are on a task to retrieve a book for me from the Redwoods. She has given you leave for however long you need to perform this task, and believes you are on my payroll since it is a special request. You will have two months, if your task requires you to stay any longer I will expect you to get into contact with me prior to that limit so proper precautions and aid can be undertaken." The tall toon declared, the smaller nodding in understanding.  
  
"I'll stay in contact the best I can. And I'll be careful, I promise." He glanced to Pippen, who was wearing a look of concern. She smiled weakly to him, though she still felt terrible sending him out on his own like this. Dewey handed him a second object from the table, a large satchel of supplies that would shift to fit whichever form he was in. "Thank you. Heavens willing, this will be a mostly uneventful trip.."   
  
"May Nokt light your path, and Galyx watch over you." Pippen murmured. The angel paused, before nodding. He remembered Pippen mention she was what was known as a Noktus, or a Wyverian who leaned more into the path of Nokt. All Wyverians respected Galyx however, no matter which of the 'parent' god's philosophies they fell in line with. Pidge wasn't sure what he believed in anymore. Angelis had never felt real to him, and the council had essentially replaced the focus on greater good the toon angels had once believed in with their false idol..  
  
"Galyx watch over you as well. Both of you." He murmured in turn. Pippen gave him a surprised look, having not expected the angel to echo her words. It didn't seem the kind of thing he would echo, even to just be polite. She smiled however, nodding to him. He started out of the building, Pippen watching him with quiet eyes.  
  
Once he was gone, the inkwell turned eye Pippen, thinking for several moments before speaking. "Well than. How would you like to go to the Park Market with me after work? It is open today, in the northern portion of the city, where the larger park is. It is like a bazaar of sorts. They set it up at the end of every month. It is a good place to find books and other interesting odds and ends. I usually go by myself, but you seem you could use a distraction."   
  
"Oh? Oh, yes please!" Pippen answered, nodding in agreement. She had heard of the park bazaar, but had yet to go. It would serve as a good distraction, and maybe.. Her fingers slid across the note in her vest pocket as she straightened it out. Maybe she could find something for Bendy there. After all, the bazaar was rumored to carry all manner of goods. Surely there was something there that the devil would like.   
  
"Very good. Who knows, maybe we will find something of interest." Dewey hummed, turning to get to work. "But until than, I think you should start translating this-"  
  
  
\-------------  
  
  
At the end of her shift, Pippen walked out of the library with Dewey, waving goodbye to Ms. Buttercup. Dewey would be returning after they went to the market, since he practically lived in the library and was unbelievably loyal to Ms. Buttercup, so she wasn't concerned about being understaffed. Dewey was never gone for long, only when the building was closed. He was a good worker, and between his work for the library, he would do work for the Association of Historical Knowledge.   
  
Walking through the city with someone Dewey's size was both a challenge and a comfort. It was difficult for him to navigate the city at certain points, but at the same time, his large presence created a buffer zone most toons avoided entering. It made it easier to walk around, save for when they had to wait at a street corner. But his size also meant no car dared to try and pressure them while they crossed the street if they took a bit longer than the light allowed. She felt far safer crossing the street with him, not needing to rush or worry.  
  
The pair made their way to the northern end of the city, remaining within the east side of the city. Even with his imposing size, Dewey wasn't willing to go to the west side without a very good reason. That and he wasn't willing to risk Pippen's safety either. The west side was no place for an imp of her demeanor. She wasn't a criminal.. and Imps were often taken advantage, whether they wanted to do the dirty work of some crook or not. It would be better to remain on this side of the city.   
  
Pippen had yet to go to the northern end of the city, or see the park. It as a bit of a walk compared to where she usually went, and when she was off shift, she would usually stay outside the city and hang out with Bendy or on Boris farm. She couldn't help but return to the farm and help out, even if Bendy didn't like working. He would usually just hang around and crack jokes when he did come. When he didn't, Pippen and Boris would talk about their beasts, with Boris telling her more about his flock, and Pippen slowly telling him more about her Stryx, though she still pretended they were all common birds. It hurt to hide the truth from someone so kind as Boris, but she couldn't risk just outright telling him. There was a chance he would accidentally reveal the truth to someone else before she could.  
  
The park was nicely sized, with a blend of trees and carefully tended to bushes along the sides. It was surrounded by a tall brick wall, the bricks old but solid. The grass was neatly trimmed, and currently covered with blankets and wooden stands from which various kinds of toons called for the attention of passerby, trying to hawk their wares. There were all manner of small shops, selling everything from handmade blankets and toys, to food, to found odds and ends they had brought to the city to sell. Artifacts, old books, new books, crafting supplies, food of all types, potions, magic scrolls, and so much more. There was also a number of security personnel ranging from police to hired guards.   
  
"Oh, wow, you weren't kidding. There really is all kinds of stuff here!" Pippen gasped, looking around curiously. Her tail twitched with curiosity, the pair beginning to walk through the market. Despite the security, Dewey wasn't sure about letting Pippen out of his sight. She wasn't entirely naive, but she was still a foreigner, and could easily end up being duped. After all, there were no set prices here in the market, and Pippen grasp on what was and was not a fair price was a bit shaky. He would help her, as she was helping him and the Association of Historical Knowledge, when it would be far easier and safer for her to stay undercover as she had been before. Especially with the Angelic Council slowly encroaching more and more, pushing the boundaries and limits of their power ever more.   
  
As they stopped at one of the larger stalls Dewey was familiar with, the shadows of flying angels passed over them. Both of them did their best not to look up, though Dewey knew they weren't here as guards for the Park Market. The angelic patrols had intensified, and toons being taken in or punished for small infractions had steadily escalated. There was an undercurrent of upset slowly brewing within the city, in particular those of the east side. After all, the patrols were originally meant to capture criminals and ne'er do wells who came from the west side to spread crime, or those criminals among the east side. Not normal citizens with small imperfections, or for petty or even accidental crimes.  
  
Dewey murmured to the shopkeeper, battering over a couple old books as Pippen nosed through the various odds and ends, a tall security guard watching her. They weren't quite as tall as Boris, but they were still on the tall end, and despite their baby face, the sheep toon was a bit intimidating. Her large green eyes were slanted into a glare, soft face twisted into a scowl of disapproval. Her fur was a shaggy white wool, save for around her face and the mid length of her upper arms, which was black. The fur was carefully trimmed and cared for, tied back in places so it couldn't be used against her in a fight. Covering her form was a brown shirt, with a black jacket over top that read 'security' along the back. She wore no shoes at the end of her loose black pants, shiny black hooves clicking softly on the ground as she tapped her foot.   
  
"Hello, Lulu. I see you've found work with the market again." Dewey greeted as the shopkeeper walked towards the back of the stall to dig around through their boxes to see if they had another item Dewey sought.   
  
"Dewey." Lulu grunted, nodding to him, her ears and shaggy hair moving with her head. "It's good to see you again. I take it the imp is your protégé? I saw them follow you into the market. If they aren't with you, I'd watch your wallet."   
  
"She's with me." Dewey reassured, Pippen's tail whipping with discomfort as they both talked about her without acknowledging her. "Pippen will not cause you any trouble, I promise."   
  
"Hope you're right." Lulu answered. Her natural voice wasn't as rough as one would expect of a security guard, but she was clearly manipulating her voice to sound tougher. "Any dark type toons that get in trouble here will be handed off to the Angelic Council. And I haven't heard or seen from any of that lot since. We've lost some of our more prolific thieves but.. I don't feel good about it."  
  
She looked away, hoof tapping faster, eyeing the crowd around them for angels. She continued to speak quietly once her look over the crowd turned up no halos or angels. "I'd rather see those types reformed. Some of them couldn't help it. They weren't in good situations, but I didn't have the means to help them, and no one else was offering. If the Council was getting them out of those situations I'd be fine but.."  
  
"They're aren't.." Dewey finished, Lulu nodding, crossing her arms.   
  
"It's getting dangerous to be a dark type around here, or even have a bit of it in your blood. You might want to start warning your patrons, Dewey." Lulu continued, walking closer to them, pretending to look at the products as well. "A lot of our dark type regulars haven't shown up to sell this month, and from what I've heard they likely aren't coming back. Something bad is coming. I don't know what, but some of the ones with connections to the Council of Shadows have been warned that the Angelic Council is planning a big move soon."  
  
"What type of move?" Dewey asked softly, pausing the conversation to finish his transaction with the shopkeeper. He didn't want to get an innocent third party involved with this. The old tortoise toon nodded to him as he finished bagging the goods, trotting to another end of the stall. He could recognize when a dangerous conversation was underway, and he was too old to get tangled into such matters. Besides, Lulu's presence would discourage thefts. Everyone knew how fast the sheep toon could run, and how hard she could hit.   
  
"Not sure." Lulu muttered. "But I think you should move any of your personal projects you don't want angelic hands on to the AHK's base of operations the next town over. They won't outright try to go for a group as large as yours.. But they won't be afraid to go after a single member where the groups protection doesn't quite extend to. And I think you should start warning any of the dark types you like. I've heard.. strange whispers, Dewey. But you know the types that run in my circle, and that I see with these jobs. Drunks, crazies, liars. But in every lie there is a kernel of truth, or in most there is. And there is one kernel I keep finding. One involving them empty, 'dummy' angels."  
  
They started to walk, Lulu leading them away to another stall. None of them talked, but soon found themselves by a quieter stall near the park wall. It was a spot that allowed one to look out over a good portion of the market, and that you could not approach unseen. The owner was a quiet old mannish type, the old lady nodding quietly to them as she worked on her embroidery. Pippen looked curiously through the odds and ends available, gravitating towards the bow ties, though she didn't move so far that she couldn't hear the conversation continue.   
  
"I've heard some terrible things about those types." Dewey offered, looking over the framed embroideries and the like. They were quite well made, and the old toon who ran this stall was hard of hearing, and unlikely to nose into their business.   
  
"Aye. Well. Here's the thing. They've started to bring them types out of Cloud City, and off properties controlled by the Council. And you see, the other day, I see this one with peculiar curly hair, slightly big front teeth, and mismatched eyes. Now. I knew a fella that got taken in by the Angelic lot a couple months ago. A curly furred rabbit kid with sticky hands. The type doing this for the thrill. Well, he gets turned in, and we haven't seen him since. Even his mama came to ask about him, trailing a dozen other kids with her. I'm surprised she could even keep track of them at all." Lulu began, her tone conspiratorial.   
  
She shook her head, green eyes scanning the crowd. "But that angel. It was just like the blanks that I've heard described. Empty, clueless, sort of lost. They're totally different types of toons, but I swear to you, that angel was the spitting image of that rabbit if you took him and turned him into an angel." She looked to Dewey. "Maybe I'm just touched in the head after one to many blows to the skull, but that angel responded to their name, Dewey. I called for him, I called for Fredrick Hops, but I pretended I was calling someone else in another direction, and that angel jumped and looked at me like I had struck him. His handler grabbed him by the arm and they both left really fast. What do you make of that, Dewey?"   
  
"That is.. an odd tale, Lulu. But I know you are not one for making things up. You have a good observational skills, and you aren't one for jumping to conclusions. I've known you for quite a while now. Your story is bizarre, and concerning.. but I fear you may be on to something." Dewey murmured.   
  
Pippen quietly approached the shopkeeper, a couple nice bow ties in hand. She paid for them and pocketed them, trying to hide the concern in her eyes. Lulu's story was concerning, and Dewey clearly trusted her words. The sheep didn't seem the type to make things up either. She was too serious and strict.   
  
"Do you think.. I should warn Bendy and Henry?" Pippen murmured to Dewey, looking up to him nervously. "A-And Mr Sammy Lawrence. He has a bit of demon blood in him too.."  
  
"Do they live in the city?" Lulu asked. Pippen shook her head. "Warn them. They're coming after the city first from what I've heard. If your friends have any sense, they will already know to be wary. But something is coming. Make sure they are keeping an eye out for trouble."   
  
"Your information is as valuable as ever, Ms. Lambchop." Dewey murmured softly in appreciation. "Do be aware that the Association of Historical Knowledge will always have a place to provide you shelter, if you are ever in need." Pippen was starting to wander away, sensing the important part of the conversation had passed, making her way towards another stall.  
  
She managed a weak smile. "You're too kind, Dewey. I'm just a security guard for hire who hears some things and is shooting the breeze with an old friend. I don't have any business among you history types, finding the truth and secrets of everything. You don't need to bust in heads to read a book."  
  
"You'd be surprised how valuable such a skill is, in some cases. And to have someone as calm and level headed as yourself, with a basis in everyday work and life, is always of great use to those of use who may get carried away with our theories." Dewey hummed. "Have you considered working for the library? We could always use another hand, and I imagine, with all these extra patrols, that finding employment in your particular line of expertise has become harder."  
  
"Can Ms. Buttercup even support that many employees, ink pot?" Lulu snorted. "It seems like you've picked up a habit of picking up any old stray off the street and taking them in."  
  
"I simply know the value of keeping my allies close." Dewey rumbled. "And some needed the help this job could provide. It has always been beneficial to the library, and to the pursuit of knowledge and the true history of our country."  
  
"Talk like that will get you in trouble, Dewey. Angelic types will take that as insurrection talk." Lulu warned.   
  
"They are not the crown." Dewey stated simply.  
  
"They aren't? I could hardly tell, with how they are acting." Lulu muttered. She sighed, stepping away from the stall. She watched as Pippen wandered away as well, her expression concerned as she tried to distract herself with the available wares. "Anyway, I need to return to my rounds. If I hear anything interesting, I'll drop by the library. Watch your back, Dewey. Things are getting dangerous." She shivered despite her woolly fur and uniform. The sense of serious danger was slowly encroaching upon Silvi City.   
  
The city had become just like her little home town, one that she was rescued from so long ago. The sense of eyes always watching you, judging you, weighing the worth of your life. Deciding your fate with no input from you, and no care for your input either. The feeling of being a product, a commodity, someone's possession. A place where your quality life did not matter, only what your life could provide another.   
  
Lulu stopped some time later, eyeing a crowd that surrounded one of the 'adventurers' carts. The badger was holding up a large blue speckled egg, the object a bit larger than a basketball. It shivered and shifted side to side ever so slightly in his hands, the object held on the side of the badger's face which had a glass eye. No doubt he missed the motion as he shouted about the 'fantastic, mouth watering, rare, blue speck egg!'   
  
Her eyes caught a figure quickly moving around the crowd, trying get towards the front so she could join the auction. She was moving with frantic, desperate motions, trying desperately to reach the front of the crowd where the bidders were lining up, though she was struggling to get through. She was clearly no chef, which were the primary bidders interested the egg. Chefs, who were eager to just crack it open and find out how it tasted, irregardless of the fact it's occupant was clearly still alive.   
  
The Swiss Valais Blacknose sheep stopped, eyeing the desperate imp. She didn't seem the type to cook a living being, despite being a dark type toon. There was a degree of desperation to her movements, as if she were trying to desperately save a life. Maybe she was. Pippen turned to her, eyes a desperate plea for help. The sun glinted brightly off of the egg shell, like it shone on the key that had freed her so long ago. it shone with such an intensity that time, and this time as well, one she rarely saw.  
  
Lulu slowly approached, abruptly grabbing the imp by the shoulder and pushing her forward, shoving her way through the crowd. No one dared to question the guard, though a couple grumbled and hissed at them as they made their way through. Pippen was initially uncertain, but didn't resist her help as the sheep toon pushed them through. The next thing she knew, they were at the front, and the bidding war began. Lulu didn't leave Pippen's side, stopping some of the rougher figures from intimidating her from leaving.   
  
Soon shouted numbers were flying, the price steadily increasing from a simple ten dollars, to twenty, than thirty. A circle of chefs were engaged in a bidding war over the strange egg, eager to try their hand with such a unique ingredient. The idea of someone eating a Stryx egg, especially a live egg, made her utterly sick. Whenever an egg turned out still born, they always buried it somewhere on the mountain to return it to the earth respectfully. The thought of a Stryx egg as a meal was one meant for a time of sheer desperation.   
  
Pippen was part of the shouting war, though it was clear she was becoming uncomfortable with the steeping numbers. Lulu could see she was holding two hundred fifty dollars, and they were rapidly loosing competition. As they neared Pippen's limit, they were left with a single competitor, an odd blue bipedal being who was some sort of mannish toon. He was grinning with confidence as he called two hundred and sixty, Pippen squeaking as they did.  
  
"Two sixty! Can anyone top two sixty?" The badger called, Pippen staring in horror at the egg, which wiggled lightly as they watched. The badger continued to call as the the current highest bidder twirled his light blue-white mustache.   
  
"Two seventy!" Lulu shouted, both the chef, wearing a chef's coat and red and green plaid-patterned kilt, and Pippen jumping in surprise. The lamb pulled out the twenty in preparation, watching the mannish toon and his strange bear-cat-rabbit apprentice scramble for more money. The badger shouted the total over and over, before pointing towards Lulu and Pippen.  
  
"Sold to the ladies in the front!" The badger called. Lulu shoved the twenty into Pippen's hands, pushing the surprised Imp towards the front. Pippen walked up to him, ignoring the glare from the rock monster standing beside the pair, wearing a simple apron on his round-ish body, his long neck holding his head high, making his stand taller than the pair. Lulu glared back, stopping the rock monster from getting any ideas, the being crossing it's arms, muttering _'rada rada'_ to itself repeatedly.   
  
Pippen returned to Lulu's side, the egg now secured in a wooden box. She clutched it close, the interior lined with cotton, hay, and other cushioning material. It would keep the egg warm enough until she got them to Glory to set it up in a proper nest. He wouldn't like it, but it was far better than letting such a precious being be carelessly slaughtered and eaten. She moved quickly back to Lulu, shifting with anxiety.   
  
"I-I'll pay you back soon." Pippen murmured, bowing her head nervously. "Bu-But.. Thank you."   
  
"You aren't planning to cook that, right?" Lulu muttered.   
  
"No." She murmured in turn. "I don't intend to end their life. Especially when it's so close to hatching."  
  
They were walking now, Lulu guiding her to the edge of the park, keeping an eye out for the trio they had out bet. They were known for causing trouble. She would hate to see them get the egg in the end. As they neared the edge of the park, Pippen looked up to her again.   
  
"Why did you help me?" She asked softly.   
  
"You were going to save their life." Lulu answered. "The rest of them would have killed them without a second thought." Her eyes were distant for a moment, the sheep toon shaking her head. "Besides, you're with Dewey, so this will go towards him and his group I'm sure. His lot are the only ones I still trust in Tunis."  
  
"It will." Pippen murmured quickly, grateful that the sheep was not asking her more details about the egg. She would tell Dewey about it soon enough.   
  
"Head through the north part of the city." Lulu added abruptly. "The lot that were competing with you for that egg don't go up that way. Something about it being another chef's territory. That will deter them from trying any mischief if they think you're with them. Than you can curve off towards where ever you intend to take that thing." She stopped outside the park, leaning against the wall and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, tugging one out and putting the pack away, finding a box of matches in her pocket and using one to light the cigarette, setting it on her lips and puffing it. "I won't dig into your business, but I get the feeling this is important."   
  
"It is, to me at least." Pippen murmured, shifting the bags on her shoulder. She had managed to find a couple odds and ends for Henry and Bendy before she came across the egg. Just a couple small things as a thank you, and to return the sweet gesture Bendy had shown her. "You're name is Lulu, right? You're usually here at the market when it's set up. I'll pay you back next month.. Unless there is somewhere I can meet you sooner? I can pay you back, I have more saved up back home.."   
  
"I'll see you next month." Lulu puffed nonchalantly. She honestly didn't care about the twenty dollars. She just didn't want to see an innocent being to die. Besides, her impulses had yet to lead her wrong. They were so rare, the brightest lights that drove her to act. She wasn't sure what it was about the sun, but after so many years in the dark during her early life she was hyper aware of those strange, bright spots.   
  
"I-I'll see you then, I promise." Pippen murmured, turning towards the north to follow the sheep toon's advice. After all they had helped her already, and Dewey trusted her. Surely she wouldn't try to pull one over on her. The security guard simply nodded, turning to glare a warning at the trio who had walked out of the park, three faces turning sheepish as they quickly made their way in the opposite direction. As she watched them walk away, she idly wondered what would come of the egg, before putting out the cigarette and pocketing the rest for later. Whatever it was, it wasn't her problem anymore.   
  
  
===========  
  
  
The next training session, the cup brothers couldn't help but notice Glory was distracted, the bird muttering and shifting his talons, only partially watching them. He watched them well enough that he could act if need be to ensure their safety, but there was a distance to his usually sharp eyes. It was after they made it through the obstacle course twice without him activating any of the surprise obstacles that the pair approached him.  
  
"Say, what's the big deal, Glory? I thought you said last time that you'd be ramping things up this session!" Cuphead demanded, crossing his arms. The Harpia glanced to him, taking a moment to answer.   
  
"Sorry. I wanted to make sure you were ready." He muttered, a clear lie.   
  
"Seems more like you're distracted." Mugman offered. "Did something happen at home?" Both of them were aware that Glory was trying to keep a low profile, along with his rider/companion. Glory was always so hyper focused on their training, and it was clear it was something he enjoyed, so it had to be something serious to distract him from the activity.   
  
Glory sighed, shaking his massive head. "You know me to well it seems." He muttered. "There has been a development on the mainland. My rider has found an egg of all things, a Stryx egg. And it is alive."   
  
"An egg?" Mugman echoed. "You mean there's going to be a baby Stryx in Tunis? I thought you said that you and that criminal crow in the city were the only Stryx in Tunis?"   
  
"That is what we were lead to believe." Glory answered. "But my master is an experienced rancher with years of experience under her wings- er, belt. It is a Stryx egg, though there is no saying what sub type of our species it may be. And there is a chance that the seller had found it by chance, like Finnbar's arrival in Tunis. He may know of a path between Tunis and Wyvera. My rider intends to try and get tabs on the matter but.."  
  
"Whose watching the egg?" Cuphead asked abruptly.   
  
"Me." Glory sighed. "I am not nest tender, no brood mother, but every Stryx has the instinctive understanding on how to do so. I will not fail my rider, or the life inside the egg, even though it is not related to me. They will hardly be the first lost egg that another Stryx takes underwing. Sometimes an inexperienced dam will loose their egg, or lay it and mistake it for a stillborn and leave it behind. Sometimes a predator will take it, and the fight between the parent and predator will cause the egg to be lost, or the fight will lead to the end of one or both combatants. It's hard to say."   
  
"Shouldn't you be watching it then?" Mugman asked, grunting as Cuphead elbowed him in the side. If Glory left, training would be over, because Elder Kettle would not permit them to train without the Harpia's eye on them.   
  
"It's at a point where I can leave it for a time. The nest configuration will keep it warm and safe. I can remain for another hour." Glory sighed. "But that means that once this chick hatches, I'm going to be run into the ground making sure its fed and taken care of. I am not a breeder bird for the ranch, I am a fighter." He shook himself, feathers puffing before falling. "But our training will be cut off at that point.."  
  
"Feeding a baby must be pretty hard." Cuphead hummed.  
  
"What do Stryx even eat?" Mugman questioned.  
  
"Young Stryx usually eat meat, insects, or whole fish. Usually softened meat, partially digested for wild situations, beaten tender and cut into small slices if it's on a ranch or in humanoid hands. The riders also make a 'mash' of milk, insect, meat, and blood from a prey animal or livestock. It's a good, high protein meal and high in fat as well, perfect for young who are a bit small or weak at birth, and to help give the chicks a growth boost." Glory answered.  
  
"Fish and bugs aren't that hard to come by around here." Mugman mused. "Maybe we could help you when the chick hatches? After all, you've been training us for free.. It's the least we can do in return."  
  
"We can't help you with the blood though." Cuphead quickly added, his cup seeming a shade closer to white as he spoke. The thought of collecting blood for a meal was unnerving.  
  
Cuphead glanced to him, processing the statement, before shrugging. "Yeah. We're pretty good at catching stuff like bugs. Anything you need specifically?"  
  
"Any insect will do. They are all a good source of protein in the end." Glory answered, considering their offer. "Having some helping hands on the bug end of tings would be very helpful.. Pippen will be able to provide the meat and fish thanks to the town market, but with our current situation I'm not sure she would be able to slip away to catch the necessary amount of insects without being noticed.."  
  
"But! You gotta let us see the baby!" Cuphead cut in. "I wanna see what a baby dragon bird looks like!"  
  
"They look like most other baby birds. Mostly bald, patchy feathers, awkward proportions." Glory shrugged. "But if that is your request, than you must get permission from you Elder. I do not want to step on his toes."   
  
"Aw maaaan. Come on, Glory. Elder Kettle only let's us come here when you're here and because his friend lives on this island. He won't let us do anything cool like go to the mainland or even to the far end of the island! He'll just say no." Cuphead whined.  
  
"I mean, Glory will be there, so maybe he'll let us go." Mugman offered amicably.  
  
"I've seen you on the far end of the island in the city to shop with Elder Kettle." Glory countered. "And I've seen you without him as well."  
  
"Yeah but we're only allowed in certain parts of town." Cuphead muttered. "We aren't allowed to go anywhere near the casino or the tracks.."  
  
"You're better off not going there." Glory rumbled. "There is nothing good to be had in that place."  
  
"Says the bird whose already been there." Cuphead grumbled. Glory blinked, shifting with unease. He had been seen in the casino, but he didn't think that what happened in the casino would make it out of the casino.   
  
"I went there to find information." Glory admitted. "And I went there with a friend who knew how to not fall into the casino's traps. I need a shadowy solution to deal with an angelic barrier. But I wasn't going to get it from the casino owner or it's workers. With the types the casino draws in, I figured it was the best place to find my information. I found some leads, but I also narrowly escaped with my life intact. It is no place for any sane being, let alone two young toons. You have your entire lives ahead of you. Do not waste that potential on one bad venture."  
  
Mugman listened to him closely, as did Cuphead, though their expressions were different. Where Mugman seemed to be taking mind of his warning, Cuphead was barely hiding the excitement in his eyes at the mention of information hunting and a narrow escape. Glory had gone on a real adventure, and on Inkwell Isle of all places! And that place was waiting on the other end of the island. They just needed a bit of know how..  
  
"Cuphead!" Glory's sharp voice dragged him back to the present, his brother looking at him as well. Mugman's expression was concerned, while Glory's was one of concern and sharp disapproval. "Did you hear me?"  
  
"Wha- Yeah, yeah, don't go to the casino, be careful, same as always." Cuphead nonchalantly replied. "Anyway, if you don't have to go back immediately, you think you can actually give us a hard practice course?"  
  
Glory stared down at them with an unreadable expression for a moment, before nodding. His stomach was twisting with concern, and he was beginning to question if he should have denied the claim. But he didn't want to make a habit of lying to the boys, who were his friends, despite their youth. He would not expect them to aide him in a fight, or ask them too, but their experience with this world, Mugman's common sense, and Cuphead's bravery, they made for interesting companions, and helped to ease his loneliness.  
  
  
===========  
  
  
Slowly, the days passed, and life seemed normal enough. Pippen had surprised Henry and Bendy with their gifts the day she had found the egg. She had returned scuffed up unusually scuffed up and dirty, but she claimed she had taken a new route out of the city to explore a bit. She had been so upbeat and excited that neither of them had asked much further. Henry was still a tad bit concerned, but he had decided not to put a damper on the mood.   
  
For Henry she had bought some art supplies, as well as a couple small paintings for his office she thought he would like. She had even found some of the more expensive supplies being sold for cheap at the market and had snatched it up for him, a thoughtful gesture he was grateful for. It was clear she paid more attention to the inner workings of the house than most would assume. More so than some of their friends thought.  
  
For Bendy, she had found some more bow ties, since she knew it was his favorite kind of accessory, the best, in her opinion, being one with a small moonstone in the center, enchanted with a small protection spell. It wouldn't be able to defend him against anything extremely severe, but it would be able to protect him in a pinch, and at least lesson the blow to anything serious that may harm him. She also bought him a small teddy bear, a little black and white one, holding a grey heart. She flushed pretty hard when she handed that to him, uncertain if she had jumped the shark.   
  
Bendy had been quick to reassure her with a massive grin as he accepted the small toy, hugging her close. It was clear to both of them how inexperienced and nervous she was, and it was quite cute. Bendy nuzzled his cheeks into her, grateful for the gesture and warmed by the fact she had been thinking of him. Pippen had happily hugged him back, tail twirling into his.  
  
From that day on things had proceeded normally, or so it had seemed. Pippen would go to work, Henry would go to work on the days he had work at the restaurant, and on the days he did not he would work on his art commissions, or personal art. Bendy would do as Bendy usually did, and find odd jobs here and there between his usual mischief making. For the most part he would keep them out of it.. unless it reached a point where he couldn't. Those days were usually pretty interesting for all of them.   
  
But soon enough, Henry couldn't help but notice the slight shift in Pippen's schedule. She was a toon of habit, and often left and returned from work within a certain time scale, but she had slowly begun to break from that schedule. It wasn't an entirely bad thing. Change wasn't always harmful. When Bendy and Pippen had made things official, she had started to shift her schedule as well to spend more time with him, though there were days when Bendy would return without Pippen, when Henry would have assumed she was out with him..  
  
It raised the familiar questions about what she had been doing in the woods so often. She had spent less time there when she first got her job with the library, and had been a bit more open about practicing flying near the house, or to try and reach the higher shelves in the house but.. He couldn't shake the instinct this was not that. She was coming back more scuffed up and dirty than usual, despite her attempts to hide it. Even more so than when she just went out to the forest. That shade of dirt she was coming back with on her shoes was more common around the mountain.   
  
Slowly, quietly, Henry began to investigate the matter when the dark type pair were away. It wasn't uncommon for Henry to walk the trails in the forest after all, and if he wandered a bit further and accidentally ended up nearer to the mountains.. Well that was just a funny coincidence than. After all, it was easy to get lost in ones own head when they were walking the trails.   
  
It was a week and a half later before he caught a lead, catching Pippen coming back from the mountains. She didn't see him, but he saw her, walking down a particularly rough trail. When she reached a ledge overlooking a dip in the forest, she tried flying, doing a considerably better job than in the past, and quickly taking her away from the area. But now Henry had an idea of where she had been. She took that jump with practiced ease, with far less hesitance than she would have if this was her first time taking the leap. She wasn't that confident in her flying abilities yet.   
  
So she had been walking a mountain trail.. That was a bit dangerous. These trails weren't meant to be walked by a lone toon, in case something happened and they became trapped or injured. Pippen was a smart girl. She wouldn't be taking this risk carelessly. There had to be something driving her up the path.   
  
He waited for several minutes to make sure she wasn't coming back, before walking up the trail with care. It quickly grew to rough for him to confidently traverse, the loose rocks and steep path filling him with unease. If he wanted to investigate further, he would need to bring someone with him. Someone with experience.   
  
Three possible people came to mind. First was Wally, a young, hearty toon but.. He had a habit of talking to much. If they discovered something but Henry didn't want to make a move yet, Wally might accidentally let it slip early. He trusted Wally a lot but.. The younger male had a bit of a trouble with running his mouth, especially if he was suspicious of someone being bad news.  
  
Then there was Sammy. He was technically a ram toon, even if he had a touch of demon blood in his heritage. He would be able to navigate the path with more confidence than Henry. But.. Sammy was a bit of a handful, and would be hard to convince to come out this far on a weak hunch. As far as Sammy was concerned, Pippen was just a run of the mill Imp with some embarrassing secrets to hide, hence why she didn't speak on her past. She hadn't done anything to peak his interest or bother him, so getting his interest in the matter would be hard.  
  
Finally there was Norman Polk. The object-head toon was a sturdy, confident type despite his odd head, and he was still very interested in Pippen's secrets. He also knew how to remain silent, and had the bonus ability of being able to film anything he saw and replay it. If they saw something they couldn't describe or didn't recognize, he could film it and project it again later while they were researching what they had found.   
  
Henry turned back, making note of which trail it was they were on, before slowly making his way home. He had a lot to consider, and needed to pick his options with care. If Pippen was in a forced contract with a stronger demon or being, than she was in danger as well, especially if this fact was meant to remain undiscovered. There was also the chance of just confronting Pippen for answers. He already knew she didn't like to lie, especially to him or Bendy. But if she had to keep her contract a secret, he would be forcing her to lie to him, and into a situation that would only make her clamp down on the truth and any possible leads even harder.   
  
He didn't think Pippen was a bad toon. She had lived with them long enough now that he was certain of that. A bit shy and inexperienced in matters that most would call common, but eager and friendly once she felt safe. She went out of her way to be kind to them, and not in an empty, mindless 'butter you up' kind of way, but in a real and thoughtful manner. But there was a chance she was tangled up with something bad, like any good toon could accidentally end up in. Something she didn't want to get them involved in after the kindness they had shown her.   
  
The toon ran a hand through his hair, more white than blonde streaks. Such a complicated situation, but he would find a solution. He owed that to Bendy, and to Pippen. The pair deserved a happy life as much as any other toon.   
  
  
  
  



	15. Changing Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is a double chapter day, so make sure you read chapter 14 if you've been waiting for an update!  
> Possibly a triple day depending on how the current chapter hashes out
> 
> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

Pippen sighed as she helped to clean the shelves in the library. She was near the back of the library, close to the area cordoned off for magical practice, Dewey a couple aisles away. Today she was off of her usual task of translation work to help Dewey clean up the library, like he usually did around the middle of each month.  
  
She had told him about the egg, which had been a bit of exciting news for him, given he was very interested in seeing a young Stryx and see them through their stages of development. Of course, for now the egg was purely in Pippen and Glory's care, until it hatched, though she had gotten a photo of the egg for his personal observation journal. She humored him, since he had helped her with so much and asked so little.  
  
Cleaning duty was the most boring part of the job so far, and all of the dust and dirt was making her wheeze and cough. She had to stop every so often to clear her lungs, and it let her look around the library. In particular, her eyes kept going back to the glass windows between the practice area and the shelves. Back to a certain lizard with a frill of small spikes down his bulbous head and the base of his neck. A thick purple robe that was ridiculous by even Wyverian standards.  
  
Alice had been spending more and more time with the lizard, and when Pippen had managed to catch her alone and ask her about it, she had claimed he was a nervous student who just needed a bit of encouragement and help. He was working on a 'special' project, and claimed having the angel around made him feel less anxious.  
  
Never mind the fact that he had been clearly nervous about her presence when they first met. Never mind the fact that a number of his 'tests' almost ended with Alice getting hurt, to an unnerving degree. Pippen had heard from other patrons who used the practice area how often it happened, and how it almost felt like he was purposely trying to harm her, and if not for the grace of the universe she would have been gravely injured by one of these 'accidents'  
  
A familiar dark form appeared near the practice area, leaning nonchalantly against the wall as he read a comic book. Pippen smiled a bit to herself, looking away to not draw attention to the Devil. She had been confiding in him about her concerns over this 'partnership' Alice had joined, and how it felt more like the angel was being set up to be harmed. Alice always shook off the accidents as being common when working with a novice like the lizard, Ozi or something like that, but.. Pippen had questioned Dewey about some of the magical spells Alice could name, and he told her those were not novice tier, not in the slightest.  
  
It all stank to high heaven, and once Bendy had caught wind of the matter, he had agreed to speak to Alice about the matter. He planned to catch her before she went into the practice area and distract her from the lizard, and possibly draw her out of the library entirely so Pippen could confront him. She hadn't been able to catch him without the concern of Alice walking in on matters, and she didn't want to upset the angel by making it seem she did not trust the angels judgement.. Even though it was partly the truth. She trusted Alice, but she feared this was a case where a very manipulative and sly person had sunk their claws into her and fooled her thoroughly.  
  
Having Bendy nearby made her feel more confident, as his presence usually did. Not only did she have help, but she had someone who knew Alice well, and could navigate through the conversation more confidently than Pippen could. The chance of him accidentally upsetting her was smaller than Pippen's, especially since he was going into the conversation thoughtfully. There was no fun and games here, not when one of his friends was potentially in danger.  
  
See glanced back towards the practice area, smiling as Bendy met her eyes and smiled as well. They would make sure Alice was safe. That's what friends did. They protected one another, even when one refused to or couldn't see the danger they were in. At least, that was how it was in Wyvera, and that's how it felt in Tunis.  
  
She scanned the library, spotting the angel and signalling to Bendy with her feather duster which direction she was coming form. He closed his comic book, trotting away confidently, intent on walking into the angel and distracting her. Pippen started down the ladder, unconcerned that Dewey would have an issue with her small break. It was for a good reason, and she had reason to suspect that the lizard was up to no good, the kind that could endanger the library.  
  
In the distance, she heard Alice's voice, followed by Bendy's, the devil quickly drawing her into a full conversation. If there was one thing Bendy had a talent for, it was talking. He was far more smooth and on his toes when it came to conversations than Pippen was. There was no doubt the devil would keep the angel busy long enough for Pippen to confront the lizard.  
  
The Imp paced into the practice area, opening the door between the sections. The heavy door swung open quietly, and Pippen quickly turned towards the first section, trotting towards the first practice area. She opened the door confidently, the lizard doing a double take when he looked up. He was expecting the angel to turn up, not an imp. His lips twitched, his sharp, thin canines beginning to extend a bit. He curled his lips, carefully pressing the fangs back. Not yet.  
  
"Ah, this room is occupied. I'm afraid I can't have any novices around, this is a very delicate spell. Could you please leave?" Ozi hummed, trying to keep his temper in check. It _was_ a very delicate spell, and possibly the last spell he would perform in this pitiful little library, if the first test went right.  
  
"I'm afraid I need to take a look and make sure everything is up to code." Pippen answered. "We've had a recent issue with some novices practicing necromancy, and so the head librarian has asked us assistants to check in on any complex spells to make sure they aren't necromancy based." She glanced towards the complex circle of runes, mind working fast. She had been studying runes since she had gotten her job at the library, mostly basic matters, but she had started learning the way the more complex symbols connected to simpler ones.  
  
"Pfft. I have no time for dealing with decaying bodies and bones." The lizard answered, his tone turning to disgust. Necromancy was looked down upon by most magic practitioners, and the general public, as it was an inversion of the natural order.  
  
It was especially reviled in Wyvera, where the act of bringing back the dead was seen as tormenting those returned to life. You lived, you died, and then the gods judged you. At some point, you were reborn, though as what only the gods would know. That was the cycle of things. To break away from that was to stray from the gods and their protection, if you were brought back to life. To be the one doing it was a crime, and an act against the gods. So was the public opinion.  
  
"I understand, but I am required to check for the safety of our patrons." Pippen stated in a amicable tone. She looked over the runes, uncertainty bubbling into her stomach. They were far beyond novice tier, to the point that even some of them were unfamiliar to her. But what she could identify was runes meant for teleportation but.. There was a sample meant to help set the goal area, a green blue rock-  
  
Wait. That was no simple rock. It was large, smaller than a basketball, with jagged edges and and a jagged glowing cracks, like a lightning strike had hit the rock, the interior glowing a light blue. It was an _Ozostone_ , a mineral only present in Wyvera. Dewey had assured her that no such material was present in Tunis, when they had been comparing notes on Wyvera and Tunis. He had been sad that she had no sample of the popular alchemist material, or any of the other major three minerals she knew off the top of her head that Dewey confirmed was not available in Tunis.  
  
"Where-" Pippen began, recognition darting through her eyes. Alarm filled Ozi. How did a simple library attendant recognize the stolen mineral? The only people who should have been able to recognize it were the Elves of the Redwoods, and only their scholars, who had been preserving the material for years as a sample of a long lost country. The same scholars he had stolen it from.  
  
Pippen didn't get the chance to speak, Ozi acting now. He lunged forward, the far taller toon easily pinning her arms to her sides, his maw opening wide. There were small jagged fangs in his mouth, but they were all small, save for his canines, which were long and thin like a viper's fangs.  
  
He plunged those fangs into her shoulder, and then a second, lighter bite into her cheek, the venom acting fast, as it always had. Her eyes fogged a bit as the venom coursed through her body, her muscles locking up, before going completely limp, the lizard catching her body and head. The natural gravity between the separate parts had been disrupted by the venom, and made it a bit trickier, and a bit easier to hide her. The venom wouldn't wear off before he was done, he would be sure of that.  
  
He quickly shoved her body into a small storage drawer that was provided to protect any books or bags brought into the room from the magic practiced in side. Her small form was easily contorted in, her wings folding neatly in their limp state. The drawer only had enough room for her body however, and he hastily looked around the room for a second hiding place, his eyes landing on his empty bag. He would have no need for it further, having emptied it out fully. It was just large enough for him to cram Pippen's head into it, chucking it into a corner as the door began to open. It rolled away, part of Pippen's face peering out, enough for her eye to peer out through the sack's opening.  
  
Ozi turned towards the door, his mask back on, wiping the fear from his eyes as he smiled confidently at the angel walking in. She seemed perturbed, but that was of little concern to him. He just needed her for one more thing, and he was certain he would be rid of the fool then. As she walked in, he quickly shut the door, locking it and putting a sound dulling spell on it. Even if someone knocked on the door until their hands bled, no sound would reach them. He added several reinforcements to prevent the door from being forced open, the lizard's tail whisking the ground silently. He would not tolerate any further distractions.  
  
"Hello, Alice." Ozi greeted, nodding towards the circle. "I need your help testing one final thing. All it will do is change the color of your dress, but if it succeeds than I will break into the fashion scene with gusto! No one will be able to match this spell. No damage to the dress, no damage to the person, no need to remove the item if your color desire has changed!"  
  
It was an annoying spectacle he put on, but he needed to keep the show going to keep the Angel entrapped. She thought him a simple novice looking to make it big somehow, through all manner of experimental spells. The reality was he was testing his ability to perform a long distance teleportation spell with no set end point. Each test had a different claimed purpose, each one ended in failure, and sadly the wretched angel had come out unharmed each time, as if the Angelic Council's false god was actually protecting her. He had only taken her on because he wanted to see how often he could hurt the foolish angel before she realized how much he truly hated her and her kind, but by some strange twist of fate it was always _him_ getting hurt.  
  
No matter. The data he had gathered from those tests had been enough to lead to this, the crowing moment, when he would escape this wretched country and the encroaching forces of the Angelic Council. No longer would he have to answer to the Council of Magic, no longer would he have to deal with the Angelic Council intruding on his experiments and trying to forcibly enlist him to work for them. He would finally be free to do as he desired, and a stupid angel would be the one to give him that ticket to freedom.  
  
"Oh.. Well.. Are you sure?" Alice asked, expression perturbed. She glanced back out the windows, noticing Bendy was still in the library. His expression was worried as he was looking around the empty shelves, and was desperate enough to go to Dewey and ask him questions. It must be severe if he was desperate enough to risk speaking to his long time library rival. His focus wasn't on them right now however, despite the concerns he had expressed. Concerns both he and Pippen held.  
  
It had been a bit of a surprise to find out Pippen had been watching over her, since the imp was a quiet sort and had only asked her a little bit about her work with Ozi. Otherwise they had spoken about normal things, like books, or the news in the city, or Bendy's latest mischief. Pippen would provide the later, and they would laugh about some of it, or Alice would listen to Pippen's concerns if the matter had evolved into something serious. Alice understood her concerns, having been caught up in some of Bendy's trouble making more than once. Sometimes when his mischief targets got a bit to upset, or his tricks accidentally escalated into something more severe, things would get ugly. But it didn't happen too often, and the devil was smart enough to know how to run and protect himself.  
  
To be confronted by Bendy about potential trouble _she_ was getting into was an odd inversion to how things usually went, and that had been enough to stop her in bemusement. She had listened to his concerns, especially the ones that Pippen had made note of about how many times she had nearly been harmed. It had slowly stacked up over the weeks, and Alice hadn't taken notice of them as much as Pippen had, who had been keeping very close notes.  
  
"Of course I'm sure." Ozi purred. "What's the matter?" He glanced out the window. "Devil get under your skin? I swear those dark types love to bother a nice angel like you." He poured on the sympathy, aiming at the known rivalry between the types. Alice didn't seem convinced, glancing towards Bendy once more, eyes uncertain.  
  
"Will this spell be safe, Ozi?" Alice asked, the lizard internally cursing. So the naive angel was starting to catch on, and at such a terrible time as well.  
  
"Of course! I would never put you in harms way on purpose!" Ozi lied easily through his teeth. He needed to pick this up. If they dragged their feet, there was a chance the imp would recover enough from his venom to make a bit of noise in the storage drawer. He made sure to keep Alice's eyes away from the corner the bag was in, keeping on the move and only stopping when he knew he blocked the bag entirely, or was not facing it at all.  
  
"But the last time you set to your robe.. And the time before that the room temperature dropped so low that icicles began to form in the room." Alice began, Ozi quickly cutting her off.  
  
"Those were all accidents my dear." He quickly reassured, quickly guiding her to the center if the carefully prepared runes, moving with practiced ease so nothing was disturbed. The angel was easily guided to the center, struggling with the conflicting information. Bendy and Pippen were concerned Ozi was purposely putting her in danger, but Ozi always acted so apologetic and nice to her. She stood in the middle of the runes, still struggling against the conflicting views as Ozi quickly raced to the edge, activating the spell.  
  
It was so much faster than any other time, as if he feared she we would back out. He had always acted like this was voluntary, that she was helping him immensely, but here it felt more like she was his guinea pig. His eyes, usually so kind, were sharp and cold as the spell activated, wrapping around her in an unfamiliar way. She couldn't move, couldn't open her mouth, the powerful spell work holding her still as Ozi worked.  
  
The sound of knocking interrupted the silence of the room, not from the door but the windows. She managed to turn her head enough to see both Bendy _and_ Dewey knocking at the window, the duo's eyes wide with alarm. Dewey was shaking the door, but it's reinforcements ensured even he could not bust it down. He was furiously shaking the door, shouting at them to stop. Alice made eye contact with Bendy, her own wide with terror, her body shaking as she tried to move free, but the spell would not let her move. He was shouting her name, she could see that through the shape of his lips as they moved.  
  
The light flared even brighter, the scene before her fading in and out, wavering before her. She managed a small squeak, before she vanished, the light in the room fading out. The only change was that Alice was gone, and a small ball of light remained in her place. Alice was the buoy Ozi had cast into the unknown, and she had landed somewhere safe. He grinned wide, standing up and facing the window and door. The spells holding the door were beginning to fail under Dewey's furious attack and the counter spells he had drawn on the door with his own ink.  
  
The lizard gave them a mock salute, grinning wide, showing up his viper like fangs among the small triangular lizard fangs. He took several steps back, and vanished into the light, snickering as he did. Once he was gone, his spell work broke, both the portal and the guards on the door breaking. The door slammed open, Dewey catching Bendy moments before he ran in, lifting him off the ground.  
  
"No! We cannot disturb the scene! If we want to have any chance of finding them again we must leave the runes undisturbed!" Dewey stiffly declared. Bendy was fighting to get out of his hands, eyes widening with fury.  
  
"How can you be so calm?! Both Pippen _and_ Alice are gone! We have no idea where that freak sent them, or where he went!" Bendy screeched in fury, ready to bite Dewey if need be, his emotions running wild and tail flailing. They both stopped abruptly as a soft thud come from the storage drawer. The duo looked uncertainly to one another, Dewey slowly setting Bendy down, but not before putting a barrier around the runes to preserve them. He would have to get in contact with the Council of Magic for a proper investigation.. and that would bring the Angelic Council nosing around as well.  
  
Another soft thud came from the interior of storage space, Dewey waiting a moment longer before opening it quickly, ready to fight if the lizard had left a beast behind to destroy the evidence. They both jumped in horror as Pippen's headless body toppled out, the position putting the grey ringed bite marks in the spotlight. They had both seen the fangs in that lizard toon's mouth, and most toon's with fangs like those didn't have them just for show.  
  
"PIPPEN!" Bendy shouted, quickly picking up her body. She was alive, a bit colder than normal, but her heart was still beating. Her body was limp and weak, her arms vaguely moving to hold onto him, though they didn't succeed in the slightest.  
  
"There's two thirds of her.. But where is her head.." Dewey muttered, putting the incident together quickly. Bendy had already told him that Pippen was going to speak with the lizard, that there was concern that he was doing something to endanger the library and Alice. He wished she had gotten him involved. His object like body gave him an immunity to poison, unless it was deposited directly into his ink core.  
  
Bendy nervously held Pippen to himself, looking around quickly. If her body was in this condition, than her head would be in the same condition as well, and she would be totally helpless to signal where her head was, unless the paralysis no longer effected her mouth. His eyes landed on an oddly shaped bag in the corner of the room the same moment Dewey's did.  
  
The inkwell approached, spotting the twinkle of a dull eye deep in the bag. He pulled it away with care, revealing a barely conscious head to go with Pippen's barely conscious body. A soft groan escaped her, the shallow bites on her cheeks turning grey around the second wound. Bendy charged Dewey, still holding Pippen's limp form close, now holding the body bridal style, demanding her head immediately. Dewey didn't put up a fight, setting her head down on her chest, since it was clear the natural gravitation between head and body had been disrupted.  
  
"I'll call the hospital. Keep her warm and still, Bendy. It is likely she has only been dosed with a paralytic, but they will make sure there is no harmful after effects." Dewey calmly stated, keeping his tone even to prevent the already upset Devil from acting out again. If he damaged the runes, they would reduce the chance of rescuing Alice to near zero.  
  
"It's OK, Pips." Bendy murmured, bowing his head close to hers, moving as far from the runes as possible, holding his girlfriend close. He knew how disorienting it was to have your head no longer properly attached to your body, and the venom would only make it worse. He barely paid attention to Dewey as he left the room, calling for Ms. Buttercup, breaking library rules for the sake of watching over the crime scene, and the injured imp. "Everything will be OK."  
  
"MmmmBbbbbeee..." Pippen moaned softly, her dull eyes at half mast and unfocused. He pulled her a bit closer.  
  
"It's me, dollface. It's me. You were right. You were right." He murmured, nuzzling his head against hers gently. "You're safe. I promise, nothing will hurt you." He felt her body relax a bit more, the weak tension in the parts of her body that had overcome the venom fading at the sound of his voice. She closed her eyes, the world going dark for a time  
  
  
============  
  
  
Lights of all colors swirled around her, her body careening forwards, propelled by the built up power of the spell. It was almost what she imagined flying would be like, or rather what she imagined being in a hurricane would be like. In a hurricane with a broken wing, and no ability to even slightly effect the direction she was being propelled in. Colors, light, and heat swirled around her.  
  
And then it was gone. The light faded, tall grass surrounding her. She slowly sat up, looking up towards a rock wall. It was veined with green-blue rock, sporting a blend of jagged glowing cracks along the streaks. Like the sample form the library, the interior of those deep cracks glowed a vivid light blue. The rock wall was tall, water trickling down it on the left side, a stream quietly forming beneath that point and continuing to drift away from the rock wall. To her right was a thick forest, partly pine and a mix of other types of trees. The air was colder than Silvi city, and clearer as well, carrying with it the feel of an area far removed from the city and factories.  
  
"Hello?" Alice hesitantly called, slowly standing. A startled rabbit kicked off from it's spot near the edge of the grass, small dark eyes meeting Alice's for a half second before it was gone. It had small eyes like a feral toon rabbit but... there was something about it, something to the subtle complicated coloration of it's fur that felt distinctly different. The entire area felt _wrong_ , the colors deeper and more subtle than Tunis, which she had always heard had a distinct look thanks to it's unique magic. She had never understood what that old saying had meant before now.  
  
The leaves all held similar shapes, as was common among leaves on the same trees, but there was far more variation to their sizes and subtle shape differences than what was common in Tunis trees. The grey of the rocks were one solid hue, no other hues present in the rock, asides some very light tints of blue near the ore edges. The colors were grand in their own right, but they were not vibrant and pronounced like Tunis', instead more subtle and quiet in their shifts and changes overall.  
  
In the distance, she could hear wolves howling in the distance despite the time of day. It was still midday, but the nearby forest was dark and unnerving. She turned to look behind her, a shriek tearing from her lips as Ozi appeared, slamming a large rock into her head. He managed to hit her pretty hard, but not so hard she could not remain standing, the woman quickly stumbling away. Her heels made it tricky on the uneven ground, but she managed, pressing into the wall.  
  
"Ozi?!" Alice shrieked. "Why? Why are you dong any of this?!"  
  
"Oh you sweet, naive little idiot." Ozi hissed, the kind warmth he had always projected in his voice when speaking to her long gone, leaving behind an empty, icy chill. "You really don't understand how much I hate you and your ilk, do you? Every single time I put you in dangers way with my experiments and you would _still_ come crawling back to me like a kicked puppy."  
  
He started towards her, staring at her with the cold eyes of a predator. Alice shook her head, expression shocked. Bendy and Pippen had shared their concerns, but even they had not expressed a concern of such a severe hatred. He had hidden his animosity so well that it was chilling. Her head was aching from the blow, heart pounding in her chest as she pressed into the cool rock.  
  
"You were the perfect little test dummy. No one would care if one of you annoying angels bit the bullet, and I didn't have to risk my own life escaping the hell hole your ilk are making Tunis into. Now, I just need to tie up this loose end, and I will be truly free" Ozi snarled raising the hand with the rock in it. Alice cringed, but quickly looked up as the rock thudded to the ground, as a soft _zzsst_ sounded through the air.  
  
An arrow was protruding from Ozi's arm, the lizard clutching it close and stumbling back in shock, hissing with fury. Both toons looked towards the direction the arrow had come from, a strange figure greeting them.  
  
"Step away from the girl." The figure commanded, standing taller both of them, though not by much compared to the lizard. He was perched on a branch in one of the nearby trees, barely visible until he revealed himself. The first feature that was clearest to them was a wolf mask covering his face, behind which a shock of messy brown hair was visible.  
  
His form was humanoid, but not proportioned like any mannish toon either of them had ever seen before, his body covered with a green tunic, tan pants, and a raggedy deep green cloak. Over that was leather armor, a vest held together with thick string over his chest, arm guards covering his lower arms, and gloves on his hands. Around his midsection was a belt with several small bags hanging from it, leather boots covering his legs up to the point just beneath his knees. On his back was a quiver of arrows and a backpack, set up to remain out of the way of the quiver, which was filled with arrows, another notched in the bow he held and aimed at Ozi.  
  
"This is none of your business." Ozi snarled, a bolt of black energy forming in his uninjured hand.  
  
"You're about to murder an innocent woman. That is my business." The figure replied, the voice male, a young adults voice. Firm despite how softly he spoke, as if he did not want to disturb the natural quiet of the forest. The black bolt began to glow more fiercely in Ozi's hand as he prepared to shoot it towards the stranger, but a second arrow met his hand first. This one was coated in a silver energy, nullifying his magic. The lizard hissed, staring at his wounded limbs.  
  
"Leave this place, and never return." The ranger declared. Behind and just below him, a bird larger than any Alice had ever seen landed, it's eagle like form imposing. It was like an eagle, but the chest was broader and the neck longer, a secondary tail beneath where the tail feathers on a common bird would be. The lengthy, dragon like tail ended in a secondary set of tail feathers, the twenty three foot tall bird spreading their wings in defiance. The feathers were primarily an off cream, with white on her face, both sides of her upper wings, and her the secondary tail feathers. Darker off-cream crescents covered her body long the upper areas of her form, along her neck and back, her thighs, and both sides of the her lower wings along the upper edge.  
  
The wind blew up at that moment, catching the tendril like feathers at the end of her flight feather cluster, the tassel like feathers twisting in the wind. A piercing cry, somewhere between an eagle screech and the roar of a dragon, erupted from the grey-white beak, revealing pure white fangs and black tongue. The birds vivid blue eyes glared down at Ozi with distaste, white talon flesh rippling as her grey claws dug into the earth, ready to charge the lizard.  
  
Ozi hissed in alarm, recognizing the clear disadvantage he was at. He shot one more hateful glare towards Alice, who was slumping weakly into the rock wall, the blood pouring from the wound in her head. It was hard to say if it would kill her, since head wounds always bled very hard, but he hoped it would end her. With that last look, he turned and fled, running deeper into the field.  
  
"Lumi. Make sure he doesn't turn back towards us." The stranger ordered, hopping off the of the branch and to the ground. He slowly approached Alice, putting the bow over his body and holding up his hands. "I'm not here to hurt you, ma'am. I want to help you. I won't let him hurt you."  
  
"W-Will you? Wh-Who a-are you?" Alice asked, stumbling over her words as she winced in pain. The figure slowly approached, guiding her to sit down so he could look over her wounds, pulling vials and bandages from his backpack, which he slid off of his back in one smooth motion. He quickly set to work, cleaning up her wound with gentle care and applying antiseptic and a salve to numb the pain.  
  
"Perci. Percival Clarke. I'm trained in the healing arts, ma'am. I can see to your wound properly." He promised. Alice nodded weakly, reaching up curiously towards his mask as her head began to tip side to side as the dizziness really began to settle in. The adrenaline was draining from her body as the immediate danger passed. It spiked however as the mask fell away, revealing the strangers face.  
  
"Hu-Hu-" Alice stuttered as the mask fell away, dangling from his neck. Amber eyes with small dark pupils, a scar just beneath his left eye, faded with time. A small nose, and tightly drawn together lips, the details of his face too distinct to be a toons. The figure gave her a calm, resigned look, nodding gently. His messy hair dipped over his eyes, though they did not quite reach them.  
  
"I am." He answered calmly. "And you are a toon, are you not?" She didn't answer. He paused and continued. "But I do not hold the animosity and fear towards your kind common in Wyvera. I know that not all toons are monsters. I have met two full toons before, and I know to blindly pigeonhole your kind as one thing is foolish to do. If you are still comfortable with it, I will treat your wound, and I will drop you off at the nearest toon friendly town in the area. I can not promise you that you will find another pure toon, at least not without going further to the east, to Sunna Mountain."  
  
She processed his words slowly, blinking around the pain. After several moments, she opened her mouth to speak. "I- I- I don't understand why he brought us here, o-or why you suggest our toons are m-monsters.. B-But. I can tell from your eyes you are not what toons have been told. I.. I want to know more. Please. There's something here, something important-" She was stumbling over her words, wincing in pain as she moved her head. The pain salve only helped so much. "I-I don't want to go to an unfamiliar town. I want to stay with the human who saved my life of their own volition."  
  
"...I understand." Perci answered, nodding quietly to her. There was something about that shade of amber in his eyes that felt familiar, but Alice's head hurt so much she couldn't place why it was familiar. "I can do some more basic treatment here, and then we can move you to my home. It's private and quiet, and we can exchange information there."  
  
"O-OK." Alice answered, hesitant and nervous at the thought of being in a strange man, a strange _human_ man's house.  
  
"Don't worry. I'm a healer, Ma'am." Perci murmured, beginning to wrap the bandages around her head to hold a square of cotton in place to help stop the bleeding. "You aren't the first person I've taken home to treat their wounds. Probably won't be the last."  
  
A loud shuffling in the grass proceeded the birds reappearance, the dangerous look wiped away. In fact, if Alice hadn't been questioning her judgement thanks to her head injury, she would have said the bird looked downright friendly. It turned to look towards her in concern, humming softly. The bird stopped several feet from them, chirping and squawking something to Perci.  
  
"She says your attacker has gone down a step hill he won't be able to get back up. The only way back here with his injuries is to go around, and it would take him an hour to do so. We'll be long gone before than." Perci murmured reassuringly. He tried to help Alice to her feet, but found the woman was too weak in the legs to walk. "I.. I can carry you, if you need... Or you can ride Lumi."  
  
Alice glanced nervously to the bird, than to Perci. "What.. What is she?"  
  
He blinked in surprise, cocking his head. "She's a Harpia. A Harpia Dracostryx. Surely you've heard of them?" His surprise only grew as she shook her head slightly. "Where in the world.. Where is this 'Tunis' the lizard spoke of? I can't imagine there is a land that Dracostryx have not made their home."  
  
"I.. I don't know. Not compared to this 'Wyvera' you speak of." Alice weakly answered, exhaustion and pain showing on her face.  
  
It was clear he wanted to ask more, but held back, nodding. "I understand. That will have to wait until you are feeling better. We'll get you to my home where you can rest comfortably." He clicked his tongue, the bird moving closer and crouching as low as possible, revealing a saddle on her back. He carefully lifted Alice, mindful of her dress and ensuring it remained down, not one to disrespect any woman. He simply wasn't raised that way.  
  
He carefully set her down in the saddle, rearranging the belts in such a way that she could sit sideways, Lumi craning her neck back so that the angel could rest against her form. It was a bit awkward, but they managed, and Alice leaned into the soft warmth of the bird quietly, closing her eyes for the moment. She felt the odd side to side motion as the bird began to walk, moving with care, the gentle rocking slowly lulling her into the darkness of sleep.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
+===========+  
Wyverian cast line up v.1  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized, due to the sheer size of them, I will have to put the Stryx on a separate reference sheet, and might do a full chapter for just the ref sheets once I have the second one done as well, but this current one is a sneak peek  
> The Seer is revealed, bc they've been mentioned several times already and will play a part soon
> 
> Also the image is wide, forgive me, I resized it several times to try and make the cut without ruining the image.  
> If you can see the moon, then you can see the entire image
> 
> (also the day I do a reference image chapter ill post an actual chapter too, I promise ;) )


	16. Dangerous decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
Perci's house proved to be an unusual one, and not the kind Alice was sure could be called a 'house.' He claimed he had insulated and ensured it was secure, but the large tree house, situated between three heavy set trees, split into three separate buildings connected by a wooden bridge between each. The main one encircled the first tree, split into sections for rooms and a kitchen and work area. The rooms were separated by a sturdy wall, and were in width, but not too terribly so. They were small, but livable, sparsely decorated with a small dresser, chair and small desk, a comfy bed, and decorations representing the Wyverian gods.  
  
The secondary buildings were smaller than the main one, the first being Lumi's perch and nesting area, the second a storage building. The third building was near a steep rock wall, so the storage house was fairly well defended, and a window in Lumi's building allowed her to keep an eye on it. It was rare they had trouble out this far in the wilds anyway, outside of a crafty racoon or a curious squirrel.  
  
It was through Lumi's 'house' was how they got Alice up to the top level, the Stryx making a quick flight to the open space. The jostling was uncomfortable and made Alice shiver with pain, but it was brief, and Lumi crouched into a position that would make things comfortable for her once they were in. The room was filled with various odds and ends, a lovingly tended to nest in the most sheltered corner, while in another various tack and other tools for Stryx care were off to a side, out of Lumi's way.  
  
Perci reached them after a couple minutes, unlocking the door to the main tree house and walking to Lumi's 'perch', as he called it. The wooden bridge swayed softly beneath him, but not so much that it would make it difficult for him to get Alice across and to the spare room to rest. Lumi was already waiting near the door by the bridge for him to arrive, and did what she could to help him slide the angel off her back. Alice put on a brave face for most of it, though it was clear she was in pain.  
  
Once she was off, Perci made quick work of getting her to the spare room, pulling out a box of medical supplies from the work area and setting to work checking her over. The wound was nothing serious, having just missed her temple by a couple inches, and stopped bleeding at this point, but it would require a couple stitches. He made sure to numb the area while he boiled water to sterilize a needle, making quick, skillful work of the matter once the needle was ready.  
  
"There.." He mumbled, sitting back into the chair he had dragged over next to Alice's bed, cleaning his tools. He worked with more skill than one would expect of someone who lived so far away from most people, and was gentle and caring as well. "I don't think you've suffered any serious damage, outside the wound on your skull, but I don't think he managed to do severe damage to your brain, which is my biggest concern, but we'll keep an eye on things.."  
  
He glanced up to her dark, pie cut eyes, the faintest edging of brown present. With the configuration of her eyes, he wasn't sure how he would check for damage, since shining a light into the patients eye was the easiest test. They could check by employing some spells he knew, but they weren't perfect, and he preferred to avoid magical tampering where he could. It tended to make his skittish patients more nervous, and Alice seemed to be tiptoeing on that line.  
  
"OK." Alice murmured tiredly, slowly shutting her eyes. She lay down, looking at him as he worked, cocking her head lightly. "You remind me of someone."  
  
"Mmh?" Perci murmured, cocking his head a bit. That was odd. With the way she acted, she had never seen a human before, and yet he reminded her of someone?  
  
"Especially in the eyes. Such a nice shade of amber.." Alice mused to herself, slowly drifting to sleep. Perci let her. He didn't see the harm in letting her rest, though he would keep a tight eye on her vitals. Hopefully Toons weren't too wildly different from humans and other living beings when it came to signs of life. What he had tested for so far seemed within the same range as humans, heightened due to her injury and stress..  
  
"Really?" He awkwardly offered, uncertain what else to say. She didn't answer, something that had him sighing with relief, the familiar tension of facing a stranger biting at the back of his neck. But she needed help, and he couldn't throw her out. Not even once she had fully recovered. She was a toon, and one completely unfamiliar with Wyvera.. One from 'Tunis'. Surely she didn't mean the legendary homeland of Toons? Hadn't the name been similar to their types name? He wasn't sure. It had been so very long since he had heard the tales, or bothered to focus on anything outside of surviving and keeping Lumi alive and happy.  
  
He left her be, though his eyes caught on her damaged dress, deciding to walk to his room and dig out some clothes that were to small for him. She would need protection if she was going to live with him for the time being, and her dress was damaged in places where it had caught on the rock wall and sticks on the ground after the initial attack. It was a quick matter, since he already had some of the clothing that was too small for him set aside to be recycled for another purpose at some point or another. That point had finally come, it seemed.  
  
The clothing he left on the dresser in the spare room, before making his way along the curve of the building to the section he had dedicated to the kitchen. He started to work on a meal, a hearty stew, something that would warm the toon and hopefully lift her spirits. He only had so much experience with a toon, that one being his adopted brother, Gru, and Gru was.. An odd duck. He wasn't sure Gru would be a good example to work off of for a toon from a land of toons. He was a good person, but he had his own quirks and odd ticks.  
  
Lumi squawked from outside, the Harpia digging around near the base of the treehouses with her Giladrake companion/pet, Oora, looking for bugs to chew on. She wasn't a hatchling anymore, but she loved the crunch of a bug's shell against her beak, and they were technically good for her. So long as she didn't make too much noise and bother their guest, he wouldn't stop her.  
  
Once the stew was together, he walked to the work area, past the tack tools and other odds and ends, and stopping in front of a storage box. He opened it, revealing a running record of all the beings he had brought in and treated, pulling out a new piece of handmade paper to right down notes about their guest and what treatment he had provided. It helped him keep track of things, and also helped him realize if he had overlooked something or left something untended to. It was only now that he realized he had never asked the stranger their name, though she had asked his. That was an awkward mistake on his part.  
  
"Oh.." He paused, titling her document 'angel toon' for the moment, and slipping it in with the others. There weren't many, and most weren't very thick, but they were living testament to his practice and experience, and proof of what care he had provided if it was needed. Even if his memory failed, the records would not forget. He closed the box, shoving it back under his workbench for safe keeping, before returning to the stew, questions slowly beginning to bubble into his mind. As the stew cooked over the carefully maintained cooking space, he mused over the various questions Alice's existence, and the existence of 'Tunis' raised.  
  
She would certainly be his most interesting guest, it seemed.  
  
  
============  
  
  
Bendy nervously trailed Pippen once she was released from the hospital, the imp ordered to bed rest for several days to ensure the poison was out of her system. She could move again, albeit sluggishly, but that was the least of her concerns. She had developed a certain symptom that was projected not to clear until the poison was absolutely out of her system. It was embarrassing and annoying at the same time but her head-  
  
"I'm fi-" Pippen tried to reassure her nervous boyfriend, moments before her head abruptly toppled off of her shoulders. Bendy caught it with practiced ease before it could hit the ground, the worry in his expression intensifying as he held her head to face him. "..Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome, Dollface." Bendy murmured, holding up her head and waiting for the natural gravitation between her body and head to take once more.  
  
AHDS. Abrupt head detachment syndrome. It was a magical based illness, since it was technically magic that kept her head, and the head of other neckless toons like herself, gravitated to her body. The damage to her body by the poison had weakened her internal magic as well, leaving her struggling to keep her head on her body. The worst part was the fact there was scarcely ever a warning.  
  
Eventually it took, Pippen's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. Bendy had long since noticed the unusual flush, and it was one of the things he quietly liked about her. Usually, on demon type toons like themselves, they would flush silver or grey, but Pippen always flushed pink and red, and her blood was red as well, instead of silver or grey. That they had found out after the bite wound incident. The doctors claimed it was just a small fluke of a mutation, possibly some non-demon ancestor's mark showing through, but otherwise, during their _cursory_ over look, she was deemed a full imp toon.  
  
At least, that is what they had said, but.. He remembered hearing some murmuring between the doctors and nurses, about other small details. One had been a magic user, and had practiced hsi spell work on the unconscious imp, only to claim he had turned up unusual results. The doctor refused to look at it, since the spell analysis had not been signed off on him to be performed, had not been supervised by any of the older magic users, so the analysis was deemed moot. Despite the intern pushing for a proper analysis, it was dropped and the doctor had refused.  
  
It was just a fluke. Just an intern overstepping his boundaries and screwing things up. That was all. He continued to trail her around the house, worried for another drop. Pippen had insisted on walking around a bit, as she was getting stir crazy from just sleeping, only to wake up with her head on the ground or the opposite end of the bed. She never realized how dependent she was on that natural gravity between her body and head.  
  
They stopped by the living room couch, Pippen sitting down next to Bendy, who took the end by the arm. Usually Pippen sat there, but sitting in the middle made it easier for them both to keep an eye on her flighty head. He started flipping through channels at a lightning pace once the T.V. was on, the images flashing by too quickly for Pippen to really pick up on anything. She usually couldn't, though Bendy could somehow discern what it was they were looking at and make a snap decision on changing the channel or remaining within moments of flipping onto a channel.  
  
Eventually they stopped on the news, since Bendy couldn't find anything else to settle on, sighing as he leaned into Pippen. She leaned back into him, wedging her head a bit between his and the couch. She let her eyes fall to half mast, a happy hum escaping her as she slid her hands into his, his own fingers sliding through hers. The news buzzed on, but neither of them really paid attention to it, relaxing for the moment.  
  
That is, until a noisy buzz erupted from the television, both of them jumping in alarm. As if on cue, Pippen's head dropped away, her hands scrabbling to catch it before it hit the ground. She failed miserably, her head falling face first to the ground, Bendy quickly sliding off the couch to collect it so that she wouldn't end up tripping over it or falling if she used her body to pursue it.  
  
"What the heck-" Bendy was muttering, turning to face the T.V. with a sour expression, holding Pippen's head close, directed so she could see the television. The normal programming had been interrupted by an alert, one Bendy had never seen before in all his time watching the television. It read **'Red Alert'** , before flicking to **'Dangerous beast sighted near cloud city'**.  
  
The image was of an all too familiar Stryx, Pippen stiffening at the sight of Malice. He was flying over a strange scene, a city made of literal clouds, from the ground to the walls of the buildings, panes of enchanted ice acting as windows. Terrified toons, mostly avian types and angelic types, were running away from his shadow, though once again he was far too high to be targeting the city.  
  
Something was wrong. Malice didn't operate like this. He preferred to pick off his prey slow and meticulously. He had learned long ago after one of his deaths that kicking the wasps nest was not a good idea. It didn't stop him from pillaging small villages on the outskirts of Wyvera, where it would be difficult for aid to come to the village before it was destroyed. He had given up his big, flashy shows long ago, save for where he as certain he was the most powerful being present. That could not be so over Cloud City, with so many angels and their light magic present, and so near to Castle City.  
  
"Holy malarkey, look at the size of that thing!" Bendy breathed.  
  
"Yeah." Pippen murmured shortly, the devil looking down at her in concern. Her expression was distant and hard to read, eyes locked on the massive, vulture like dragon bird. The very next moment, an image of the Angelic Council's Crest appeared, a halo and two white wings with a ray of light coming from the top portion of the crest. A figure with six wings appeared, standing before a podium, tall with sleek golden hair and a healthy skin toon. His halo was bright, brighter than his blue eyes, which felt dark to Pippen.  
  
"My dear toons, now is not the time for panic. By the light of Angelis, we have driven the beast away from Cloud City, and by his might we will ensure the safety of both Cloud City and Castle City." The figure began, his six wings folded around him in such a way that made him look more like a painting and less like a living being. There was a strange sense of near perfection to his presence, everything carefully curated, from the position of his white wings, the shape of his hair, the expression on his face, and the pristine white clothing he wore.  
  
"Who?" Pippen questioned.  
  
"That's Angelo Voildrus. He's the head of the Angelic Council's inner circle." Bendy answered in a quick, hushed whisper.  
  
"He doesn't feel.. Real." Pippen mumbled, Bendy not responding, staring at the screen. Cloud City was a ways to the northwest of Silvi City, but that bird.. It was so large. Surely it could reach the city with ease. Where else would it go, if driven away from one city it was attacking?  
  
"-And by the mercy of Angelis we will continue to be protected. Keep faith, and do not falter. The Angelic Council will strive to protect the cities, and all of Tunis from this threat, that we promise you." Angelo Voildrus smiled, Pippen stiffening a bit with unease. His eyes were dead and empty, a thin veneer of kindness plastered over it.  
  
"Maybe they aren't all bad." Bendy mused, finally returning her head to her body as the news switched back to the usual newscasters, who began to rapidly speak on the terrifying bird and how grateful they were that someone was protecting Tunis. After all, which of the other councils were doing even half the work the Angelic Council was doing?  
  
"This reeks to high heaven.." Pippen muttered, brow furrowed. She was speaking quietly, but Bendy heard her, turning to her curiously.  
  
"Why? What's on your mind, Toots?" Bendy questioned, sliding back onto the couch with her.  
  
Pippen jolted, realizing her mistake, scrabbling for something to say. She was in no way mentally prepared to tell him about everything, let alone _Malice_. Not when she was still so tired, and her damn head kept falling off.  
  
"It's just- The bird. It's a predator, but you can tell it's similar to a vulture. Vultures don't really hunt, and they aren't prone to attacking large groups. They're carrion eaters, and any sensible predator would think twice about attacking a city, which is full of unknown dangers, and to tight a space for them to really maneuver and catch their prey. That is assuming they were hunting. The angle is wrong. They're flying over and making a threat display, but it's foolish to do so if the intent is to harm the city occupants. It would be like making a threat display at a herd of deer who were standing at the entrance of a maze, and one with tall, unflexible walls at that." Pippen quickly offered.  
  
"I see what you mean.." Bendy offered, his expression thoughtful but uncertain.  
  
"I just.. It doesn't make sense. Why would an animal that large attack a city? To reach that size, they would have to have made good choices through their life, and one of the most important lessons a large feral beast will learn early on is to not mess with large groups of hu- Toons and beings of similar intelligence and habits." Pippen continued.  
  
"I don't know. But you're the bird expert here, not me." Bendy offered in turn. "It still worries me. If that thing comes down here near Silvi.." He shook his head, walking towards the kitchen to collect the phone. "I'm going to call Boris and his mom and warn them so they can keep their sheep safe."  
  
"That's a good idea." Pippen offered, though deep down she suspected it would be unnecessary. No, Malice was a cunning beast, and he was in a strategically adventurous area.. That is, advantageous for the Angelic Council. Of all the Councils, the Angelic Council had the most power.. and dark magic was an inversion of light magic. How hard would it be for some of the more dedicated members to feed the hatred and negative energy that fueled Malice's being into the last place he had died? If they did so, would they have been able to shackle the beast to their will? It would explain why he was acting so strangely, why he flew with another bird, why he had yet to actually take a life, despite the fact that was what he craved above all.  
  
Pippen tiredly let her head bob against the couch, a headache beginning to form. The situation was only growing more and more complex with every day, and the looming question of how to let Bendy and Henry in on it pressed down on her all the heavier. She needed to do it soon. Once the venom's effects had faded, she would ask Dewey for his advice, and maybe even his help, and they would sort out the best way to do this. And then..  
  
Then she could only hope for the best.  
  
  
============  
  
  
Norman Polk would consider himself a good man, a hard worker with a good head on his shoulders, even if that head was a film projector. He had a specific reel in today, ready to record any evidence he found, a unique ability that separated his head from common projectors. It was a small point of pride for him, and it made is gossip and rumor sharing all the more valuable when he could share images.  
  
Today however, Norman was not in his shop, or idling around town, gossiping with some of his acquaintances or watching the town and city residents make their way about through the day. No, he was walking the mountain paths just beyond the forest trails, moving with care. Henry had entrusted him with word of more worrying behavior from Pippen, and in the wake of her being house bond thanks to the incident at the library, Norman saw his chance to investigate without running into the imp.  
  
He had decided to not only check the paths Henry had found her taking, but the ones near it as well, meticulously scanning the area. It was a good thing he had, because he had been turning up clues not present on that main path. It was clear the main path was kept clean in case someone saw Pippen, but the same care was not taken to the same extent on the other paths.  
  
First and foremost were bones. From what he knew about hunting, they were most likely feral toon animals, and not the talking type, thanks to their small ocular space and teeth shape. At least, when he found the skulls he was certain of that. There weren't too many, but the marks on the bones did not suggest tooth and claws, but something more like a _beak_ grinding against them as the meat was stripped from them. They were meticulously cleaned, very little left to rot. The bodies were mostly hidden in deep grass, and he had found the first one because of some fresh drag marks and a small amount of blood. The body was very fresh, possibly from that morning.  
  
Next were the footprints. Or rather _talon_ prints. They were large, three toes to the front, one toe to the back, with deep imprints where the claws had embedded into the ground. They were extremely similar to the ones they had seen all those months ago, when Pippen ran away from the Stein household. Those had been in mulch, but the size and shape were undeniably similar.  
  
As he took more and more time to step off the beaten path and look around, he started finding more signs. Large, dark feathers, some silver ones, all too large to be a common birds or angels. One was extremely long, longer than he was tall, the ribbon like feather caught in several tree branches far off the beaten path. There were also scratch marks on some of the stronger trees, as if something large had been using them to sharpen it's beak and claws, or mark it's territory. Now that he though about it, he had heard there had been a subtle decrease in coyotes and mountain lion sightings around the same time Pippen appeared.  
  
There was definitely something here, Norman was certain of it. He had been canvasing the trails for days now, and it was the last day of Pippen's required house rest. Her AHDS had cleared up the day before, but Henry had convinced her to take one more day of rest. He was aware, from hints that Norman had dropped in some brief conversations with him, that the repair shop owner was on to something. Between that, and the lingering weakness from the poison, he had decided to convince Pippen to rest for one more day.  
  
_"Now, all I need is something to break the case wide open.."_ Norman's voice rumbled from the speaker in his chest. He had returned to the main trail, the one Pippen had been sighted on. He was moving along the side, near the rock wall, looking for similar evidence he had found along the other paths, but so far there was nothing. When he reached the end, he was met by a crossroads, one leading to the right and eventually down the mountain, and one leading to a steep rock wall.  
  
He started down the right path, intending to see if it lead to anywhere specific, only to stop as a strange sound came from behind him. No, not behind him, but somewhere to his left, along the other path. He turned quickly, projector recording clicking on just in time. The sound of wing beats only grew louder, until a _massive_ , monstrous bird flew past him, not seeing him thanks to his position down the other path, and the fact his eyes were focused on his path in front of him. Silver and black feathers, a massive set of golden talons and beak, and odd yellow eyes-  
  
_"Bingo."_ Norman whispered, crouching as he filmed the birds retreating form. There was no doubt which path they had come from, and he was not going down that path alone, not with the size of that beast. It was more than able to kill, and he wasn't sure if his strange head would make it think twice about making a meal of him, or if there were any restrictions preventing it from attacking toons. All he knew was that they he had finally found the bird whose talon marks had been left by Henry's house.. And that Pippen was connected to it somehow.  
  
As if to punctuate this thought, a familiar cardinal flew down the same path, trailing after the mighty beast. It stopped on a boulder, watching the retreating form, Norman filming the little bird as well. Undeniable proof. It took off moments later, leaving Norman behind to find his way back down to the town and coerce Henry to his shop to unveil everything he had found.  
  
  
============  
  
  
"H-He what?!" Pippen squawked softly, glancing around nervously. Bendy had stepped out to go visit Boris, since Pippen's head was no longer falling off of her shoulders at random. He was going to help them fortify the farm house and the sheep's stall, though deep down Pippen knew that no amount of fortification would stop a Gryph from busting in if they really wanted to.  
  
_"He just took off!"_ Redfall repeated. _"He kept looking towards the isles he's been visiting, and saying something felt off, and then he was gone! That egg is close to hatching Pippen, I can feel it in my bones! We need to get some food together or that baby is going to starve!"_  
  
"Slow down, slow down" Pippen ordered, slowly standing up. "I- I can't go out. I will be noticed easily. But.. Maybe."  
  
She ran to the phone, clumsily spinning to wheel to input the numbers that made up the library phone number. She nervously shifted side to side as it rang, shivering a bit with relief as the other end picked up.  
  
"Silvi City Library, Ms. Buttercup speaking, how may I help you?" Ms. Buttercups sweat voice rang over the phone, Pippen smiling nervously.  
  
"H-Hey, Ms. Buttercup, I- Ah, It's Pippen I need to ask Dewey something, and I'm afraid it can't wait until I come back tomorrow. Would it be possible for you to put me through to him?" Pippen quickly answered.  
  
"Oh, Pippen! It's so good to hear from you! We were all so terribly worried after that terrible lizard bit you." Ms. Buttercup greeted, the sound of tapping in the background. "One moment-" The phone moved away from Ms. Buttercup's head, but Pippen could hear the intercom calling Dewey to the front in the distance. A soft shuffle, and Ms. Buttercup was back. "He should be here in a couple moments. How are you feeling, dearie? How is your head? I heard you developed a case of AHDS because of the venom, such a terrible thing to have on top of that nasty bite."  
  
"I-I'm doing better, Ms. Buttercup. I should be able to come back to work soon." Pippen quickly reassured. "The AHDS cleared up just yesterday. It was.. Not a pleasant time, but Bendy helped me through it."  
  
"Ah, how sweet of him." Ms. Buttercup sighed. "I knew he was a gentleman deep down. Oh- Here's Dewey now! It was nice to hear from you!"  
  
"N-Nice to hear from you too-" Pippen quickly answered, listening to the phone shuffle.  
  
"Pippen? It's good to hear from you. You wouldn't need more time off, would you?" Dewey asked, trying to keep the conversation casual as he waited for Ms Buttercup to toddle off. Once she was out of earshot, he quickly changed his tune. "Is there something wrong with our avian friends?"  
  
"Yes-" Pippen quickly answered. "The egg. Glory up and left on some sort of emergency but Redfall claims the egg is due to hatch any time now. I need fish, and meat, any meat, even the cheap stuff from the store, and a meat mallet to soften it up. If it hatches before Glory comes back the chick will be starving and completely dependent on me, but if I go into town and start buying all this food it's going to draw attention-"  
  
Dewey cut off her panicked explanation, understanding in his tone. "I understand, Ms. Clark. I myself can not see to matters unfortunately. However, I do have someone who can help us, and do so discreetly. She will meet you in the woods just beyond your house within two hours. Keep an eye out for a familiar face."  
  
"I- O-Ok." Pippen squeaked, stomach twisting with concern. "I-I'm not sure what I'm going to tell everybody else though-"  
  
"We'll work on a cover story. For now, just rest and wait. Conserve your energy until my friend gets there and you have to make the trip out." Dewey ordered in a soft voice, taking charge of matters.  
  
"I-I understand." Pippen squeaked. She hung up the phone after saying her goodbyes, nervously sitting down on the couch, watching the backdoor window for any sign of Dewey's friend.  
  
  
\-----------------  
  
  
When Pippen noticed something white against the greenery of the forest, she slid off the couch, quickly walking out the backdoor, shutting it quietly. Redfall had long since gone ahead to watch over the egg, with the plan to fly back the moment the egg started hatching, if it did while she wasn't there.  
  
She wasn't expecting the person she found when she walked into the thicket, stopping with a look of surprise. "Lulu?"  
  
"Who else?" Lulu questioned, raising a brow. "Looks like I'm back on this egg business with you." She thumped a hooved foot against a large cooler, the kind used for cookouts to keep things cool. "Got a bunch of fish and some cheap soft meat in here. The cooler will stop them from going south if this thing isn't busting open as soon as you think."  
  
"How much did Dewey tell you?" Pippen asked, watching in amazement as Lulu easily lifted the cooler, two belts acting as makeshift straps to hold it on her back. It sloshed noisily, with a sound that suggested it was _very_ full.  
  
"Ah. He said I am helping you with a very rare specimen that's about to hatch that you can't reveal to the public yet because of it's sensitive nature." Lulu answered. "If we're out to long, we'll tell your housemates you saw me wandering through the woods and agreed to help me find the three pillar circle, since I wanted to see it."  
  
"Three pillar circle?" Pippen echoed, taking the lead and guiding her down the paths to Glory's cave.  
  
"You know, those weird pillars somewhere to the northeast of this point. They're tall rocks, smooth out on top, with a hole in each one. Two are the same height, used to have a moonstone in one hole and a sunstone in the other, and the third used to have a speckled stone with constellations carved on it in the hole. Third one is taller than the other two. They're set up in a circle, but they were damaged a couple years back by some of the Angelic Council yuppies. Something about 'false gods', even though no one worshiped at it or nothing like that. Really ticked off the Association of Historical Knowledge." Lulu explained as they walked, keeping easy pace with the imp despite her burden. "They have someone come out occasionally to check on them to make sure they haven't been damaged further."  
  
"Those sound like.." Pippen murmured, before shaking her head. It sounded similar to the sacred stones set up on Sunna Mountain, and in many areas of Wyvera, meant to represent the three gods and act as a place where one could pay homage to all three at once. They were also a ward of protection, a place where beings of true evil, or of the void, could not approach because of the gods' blessings on that space. "Alright. I came with you to help you find them, since I know where they _aren't_ , and I wanted to see them and pay you back for helping me at the market a couple weeks ago."  
  
"Agreed." Lulu hummed. "Now, how much further is this place?"  
  
"Not much further. It's down one of the bigger trails, and up a steep rock wall.." She glanced to her in concern. "I don't know if you'll be able to make it up with that on your back.."  
  
"We'll see when we get there." Lulu offered simply. "Now, how big a bird are we talking?"  
  
"Ah.. Well. When fully grown, the smallest possible option stands about.. eight feet, I think? It's hard to say which one of the sub types is in the egg. But once they come out they won't be much bigger than the egg, I think." Pippen answered. The fell silent as they walked the rest of the way, Pippen fighting off the light exhaustion that began to nibble at her. She had been so inactive for the past several day that all of this sudden exercise was making her dizzy. But she had a purpose, a place to be, and a chick that would need her.  
  
Lulu clambered up the rock wall surprisingly well, eyeing the large cave curiously as they approached. It was clear something large had taken up residence here, as Dewey had warned her, though he had not been able to share details. She walked in, eyeing the massive nest and the blue speckled egg, which waggled softly before falling still.  
  
"It's really close." Pippen murmured, looking back out the cave. "Oh, Glory, why did you have to leave now of all times?"  
  
"Here, I'll put the cooler here." Lulu muttered, setting it down. "Dewey wanted you to write down the instructions for hatchling meals while we waited." She drew out a pad of paper and a pen from her pocket. "Seems you're the expert here and all."  
  
"Y-Yeah." Pippen admitted, taking the pad and leaning into the cooler to start writing. "I-It's complicated, and I don't know if you want to be involved in the matter or not."  
  
"I'm still debating on it." Lulu answered. "Dewey's alluded to things, but not much."  
  
"I'll hold off until you've decided if you want to know or not." Pippen murmured respectfully. "Thank you for all your help, Lulu."  
  
"Your welcome." Lulu grunted, looking out towards the sky. Still bright and early. "I will have to leave after midday however, to check on the stones and some other things. But I'll come back before nightfall to check if this 'Glory' is back or not. No point in helping you feed them only to let them freeze to death."  
  
"I really can't thank you enough, Lulu." Pippen murmured softly. The sheep smiled a bit, looking to Pippen.  
  
"You know, you aren't half bad for a whatever you are." Lulu hummed. Pippen jumped, looking to her in shock.  
  
"How-?"  
  
"I didn't know for sure. Not till now, with you confirming it." She laughed as Pippen quietly cursed her foolishness. "But you aren't like the other imps. There's too much you don't know. But Dewey likes you, so you can't be bad."  
  
"I don't think I'm bad.." She offered, though she seemed uncertain, eyes growing distance. The pair fell silent, save for the scritch-scratch of Pippen's pen.  
  
  
============  
  
  
  
  
Glory flew hard and fast, breathing hard. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, he could feel it deep in his gut. The last time he had visited the cup brothers, Cuphead had been even more distracted than before, discontent surrounding him. He was a young male, liable to butt his head against the limitations set before him by his elders. Glory would hope that Mugman would be able to reign his brother in, but there was always the chance that he would end up in harms was as well if his will faltered.  
  
His wings beat harder, pushing himself faster. The egg was due to hatch soon, he was sure, but a sense told him that it would not be too terribly soon. He couldn't shake the unease that had gripped him since his last training session with the boys, and had spiked early that morning. It would take him a couple hours to reach the isles, his flight extended thanks to all the detours he had to take to evade the Angelic Council's every increasing patrols, but he would make it there at least by midday. There he would soothe his worries, remind the boys of the coming hatchling, and talk to Elder Kettle personally about letting the boys come to the mainland. Anything to distract them from the one peril their home held.  
  
After several hours of hard flight, and several quick dives into cloud cover to avoid angelic patrols from getting close enough to really see he was more than a common bird, he arrived. His stomach dropped as he regarded the quiet house, though he told himself it was common for it to be empty occasionally. The boys did not always play in front of their house. A good portion of the island was their playground, most specifically the one they lived on.  
  
However, as he neared, the familiar form of Elder Kettle appeared in the doorway, quickly walking out to greet him. He could tell instantly from the troubled look in the old toon's eyes that something was wrong. The Dracostryx landed swiftly, kicking up dirt and dust as he did, not wasting time on niceties. "Where are the boys, Elder? I was struck with a terrible feeling earlier in the day and came as quickly as I could.."  
  
"It's terrible, Glory, simply terrible." The Elder began, his tone mournful. "My dear boys.. My poor boys.." He shook his head, Glory beginning to bristle with alarm, shaking lightly. He felt like he was going to explode if he didn't get answers soon. "They're alive, Glory, but.. Oh heavens, I fear I can not say for how long. They went to the devils casino early this morning, even though I always told them not to.."  
  
Glory froze, feeling ill as he listened to the tale. "They went in, and they were lured in by that wretched manager's honeyed words. They set the table so that they would just keep winning and winning, and all of the employees were cheering them on, and you know how it feels to be so young and have such an amazing streak of luck and have everyone looking up to you." Glory numbly nodded, though the kettle did not stop for an answer. "And then they sprang the trap. The Devil himself came out and tempted them with a deal, all the riches in the casino with one more successful roll of the dice.. but if they lost, they would forfeit their souls. Mugman was not eager to roll, but Cuphead jumped the gun and.."  
  
"They lost." Glory rumbled, his voice husky. Sorrow, guilt, and red hot rage burned through him, though he was keeping it under control. The elder was not to blame for this. No one nearby was to blame for this. The only people who could be blamed were the Devil and his wretched minions.. and himself. He would set this right, somehow.  
  
"They did." The elder confirmed. He continued, surprising Glory with what he said. "But they begged for mercy, and that dratted beast offered it, but in a most twisted way. A list of debtors was given to them, debtors who owed the devil their souls, and they were given twenty four hours to collect them all if they desire their freedom. To force children to pursue adults, who would have no issue with harming them to save their own skins.." He shook his head, a whistle escaping his nose as steam exploded from it, the old toon keeping his temper in check. "They have collected the debtors contracts from this isle already, but I fear for what they will face on the others. The fights will only grow more intense, and those who deal with the devil will not be afraid to play dirty, even against children."  
  
"I will help them." Glory declared, standing tall, guilt and determination in his eyes. "It was my fault they went to that wretched casino. I admitted to going there to hunt for information, and while I warned them against going, I fear I only fed the flames of Cuphead's envy and adventurous spirit. I am to blame for them going to that horrible place."  
  
"Maybe you had a claw in it, but you did not push them into the casino, Glory. You can not fully blame yourself for this matter." The Elder murmured. He understood Glory's guilt, but he didn't doubt that he would have warned the boys away, just like the other adults in their lives. He could not fully blame himself for the actions of others. "They plan to collect all of the debtors contracts so they can get near to the devil and force him to give them their souls back. He will never let them near enough to fight for their souls if they do not arrive with all of the contracts."  
  
"A bold plan.." Glory muttered.  
  
"I'm afraid it's the only plan we have. If we do not get those contracts to the devil within twenty four hours, there is no saying what twisted games he will play with my poor boys." The elder informed. "I have given what aide I can provide, in the form of a potion that gifted them both a magical power to help them, one that will not fail them or leave them so long as they are conscious, but I fear that is all this old Kettle can provide. I am long past my fighting years, and my metal hide has grown thin and weak in many places."  
  
He bowed his head, Glory nodding in understanding. "You have done all that can be expected of you, Elder Kettle. You raised them, taught them right from wrong, gave them the means to defend themselves, and have not abandoned them in their time of need. No one would expect more of you in this situation." As the kettle looked up to him, Glory took off, aiming for the next isle over. He no longer cared to keep himself hidden. The boys lives were at stake.  
  
Toons of the island were pointing to him, alarm spreading at the sight of another massive bird, especially in the wake of the reports from Cloud City, many fleeing the sight of the fast flying beast. He flew high over the second isle, seeing that someone else had already left a trail of bodies, though these were still living. There was a crying pink humanoid with a very thin frame, round head, and royal regalia atop what looked like a castle made of pink gingerbread and icing, and further south some sort of tall humanoid toon with a clown make up and get up, also crying like a child.. .  
  
There was also a bird, a massive woodpecker perhaps, completely stripped of it's feathers, but caught somewhere between the size of a Harpia and a Gryph. He hadn't even been aware there was another bird so large on the isle, and if the busted out birdhouse nearby was anything to go by, there was a reason for that. They were occupied, trying to fight off two Tyto sized blue birds who were covering him in salt and pepper. Barbaric. A civilized predator would at least slay it's meal first.  
  
The fourth figure to catch his eye was an orange being with thin legs encased in blue pants, a blue turban on his head, was nursing a number of injuries above the isle, seated atop a flying carpet. He looked like the stereotypical depiction of a 'genie', like he had seen in the picture books Pippen had some him when he was a hatchling. They were high enough in the air for him to approach, the Harpia quickly doing so.  
  
"You there!" He called, the figure jumping a bit. He was nursing a number of bruises, and a small number of cuts here and there, but nothing that suggested the brawl had been between him and the three below. He eyed glory uncertainly, chewing his corncob pipe as he gestured for Glory to continue. "Have you seen a pair of children? A pair with cups for heads."  
  
"Those brats?" The genie answered. "Those wretches are the ones who did this to me! They're going to give my soul to the devil!"  
  
"You were a fool to barter it to begin with." Glory scoffed, earning him a glare. "I seek those boys-"  
  
"To eviscerate them? Shatter their heads? Weren't you the guy who won that angel a while back?" The genie looked slightly disgusted as he remembered what it was rumored the bird was going to do with the angel, but it slowly morphed to malicious glee. "If you're looking to wring their necks, their over there-" He pointed to the far end of the isle, towards a tower surrounded by dark storm clouds. "But if you aren't quick, Grim Matchstick will have them fried up."  
  
Lightning flashed from the clouds ominously surrounding the tower, a figure somewhat larger than Glory outlined in the shadow of the clouds. They were a dragon, a hybridized one from the look of things, since he had three heads atop three long necks. Outside of that, his body was far more simple than other dragons Glory had seen, but he assumed that came with the territory of being a _toon_ dragon.  
  
Cream spikes cascaded down the back of each neck, meeting at a junction point and continuing down his spine and the length of his long tail. His entire form was covered in simple green scales, save for his underside, which was the same cream as his spine, and part of his crocodilian face. His eyes were large, unnaturally so, two white eyes with large, oval pie cut pupils inside. Strangely enough, he seemed to have ears, or horns shaped very similarly to ears, and rather small wings for such a massive body.  
  
He stated towards the tower the moment the lightning flashed, absorbing ever bit of detail possible in that brief moment. He could see two small silhouettes, hopping from cloud to cloud, avoiding gouts of flame and strikes from the side heads. The pair were doing shockingly well, dodging attacks and raining endless magic bolts onto the dragon, though they were more like little blue bullets. They held their hands with a but their forefinger thumb folded, aiming with the pointer and fire a shot with a snap. They both were proving able to do this pretty rapidly, as the rain of blue bullets was unrelenting, and slowly bruising and battering the dragon more and more.  
  
It was in that moment that Grim Matchstick decided he had had enough. He had staked his pride on this battle, but he was not foolish enough to choose his pride over his soul. With a massive swing of his tail, he blew apart the clouds, including the ones the boys were standing on. It was going to cost a small fortune to get a new enchanter out there to make more solidified clouds for him, but it was a cost he was willing to pay, since it wouldn't cost him his soul.  
  
A shriek of pure fury escaped Glory, the sound one not of words but emotion. He angled down, moving with enough speed to catch up to the boys, who had grabbed one anothers' hands as they began to fall to what they were sure would be their doom. They looked up with wide eyes at his cry however, only seeing a blur of silver and black, before something rose beneath them, their conjoined arms stopping them from falling further. Instead, they slid further down Glory's back, the pair cheering in amazed surprise.  
  
"Glory!" The cried, their voices elated. Their cups were scuffed and scratched in places, but mercifully intact. Glory didn't respond, maneuvering in a way to signal for them to get on his back, flying level, though he had circled back towards the dragon, who was eyeing the development with distaste. He started to fly back, and glanced out to the ocean, seeming to consider fleeing, until another long, harsh cry had all three heads snapping back towards Glory.  
  
"H-H-How dare you say that about our m-m-mother!" The middle head roared, before a gout of flame erupted from his mouth.  
  
Glory dodged it easily, the boys holding onto the lengthy feathers around his neck. They were starting to fire again, not letting up on the draconic debtor as Glory kept them out of harms way. He circled the dragon again and again, until it was clear he was starting to get dizzy, before flying in for the final blow, slamming hard into the dragons back, right between the wings.  
  
The overgrown lizard fell from the sky, howling in pain, his wings just operational enough for him to slow his descent. His body language switched from defiance to defeat, his bruised and battered form thumping into the ground below. Once Glory landed near him, he quickly held up a curled paper, waving his other hand as all three heads cowered.  
  
"Mercy! M-m-m-mercy!" They stuttered together. "P-p-please! We'll give up our contract, just n-n-n-no more!"  
  
Cuphead leapt from Glory's back without hesitation, running up to snatch up the contract, holding it up with a grin. "And that's the last debtor on this isle!"  
  
"Glory, how did you know to come here?" Mugman asked, still perched on his back.  
  
"I know about your casino trip." He stated, cutting to the chase. Both boys shrank a bit with guilt, but Glory saw no point in berating them. It was clear they had learned their lesson, and still were. There were two more isles after all. "I'm disappointed, but I am not going to waste my breath berating you when you have a time limit before your lives are forfeit."  
  
"Did Elder Kettle call you?" Cuphead asked. The Elder had claimed he was going to return home and see if he could find any other way to help them, outside of his advice on how to out fox the devil, but he didn't think the old toon had a way to summon Glory.  
  
"No. I had a terrible feeling that something was wrong, and I came right away. I am glad I did." Glory admitted. "The gods look down upon you with mercy, it seems. They have guided me to you in your time of need, of that I am certain."  
  
"Gods?" Cuphead echoed, emphasizing the 's'. "I thought the only god being pushed in these parts was that new one the angels came up with."  
  
"No. I do not know if that is or is not a real god, but I do know the three of my land, and have felt their presence and seen their influence. When time allows, I will tell you more if you wish. However, I understand you still have a number of debtors to coerce into giving up their contracts, and time is of the essence." Glory answered quickly, scanning the island. Some toons were looking at the scene, curiously eyeing the beaten and swollen dragon, and the bird who spoke so civilly with the boys working for the devil. Had the bird been contracted to the devil as well?  
  
"We have one more isle to go." Mugman declared, looking at the list as he crossed Grim Matchstick off. All of our debtors are in the town, and one of them is the train conductor who works on the tracks near the casino. Or is it the whole train?" He paused, staring at the list. "We'll.. figure that out. But, our information say all of them are on the last isle, and then we'll have everything."  
  
"Than we'll have to face the devil." Cuphead murmured, mindful of the gathering crowd. "Listen, meet us on the next isle over. We'll talk there. If we don't go to the dice house by the bridge to the next isle soon, that sleezey manager may come looking around and I don't want him to find out you're helping. Not yet at least."  
  
"I understand. And boys?" They paused, looking to him. "You've done very well so far. I can tell that from the number of fallen combatants you have left in your wake. Have confidence in your abilities, but do not be so confident you become cocky. When the final battle comes, I have no doubt you will come out as the victors. And you will have my talons and my wings at your disposal."  
  
With that he quickly took off, flying towards the mountains to loose the gaze of the crowd, though many approached and stopped Cuphead and Mugman to ask about the 'feral' dragon bird. The pair were quick to make it clear he was nothing like the one that had attacked cloud city, promising a better explanation to a couple nosy journalists later. They had a schedule to keep!  
  
  
\--------------  
  
  
"Where to first?" Glory questioned once the boys had crossed the bridge, the Stryx waiting atop a fancy arch over that covered a roadway. The third isle had a noticeably fancy street, with a number of high rises and art along it, though most of the town was more modest and simple. The most noticeable building in the fancy section was a tall yellow high rise, the top oddly rounded. It looked like the top of a simplified drawing of a bee hive, like he had seen on honey jars in the past. A steady buzz and rumble emanated from the building, soft but noticeable once you became aware of it.  
  
"The Honeycomb Herald." Mugman answered, pointing to the high rise. "It's technically a beehive run by this massive Queen bee, Rumor Honeybottoms."  
  
"People don't like it." Cuphead offered, eyes half mast with distaste. "I've heard Rumor is really viscous, especially with non-bee toons, and works her bee drones to exhaustion. That and she's constantly fighting with her neighbors."  
  
"Elder Kettle says she wants to expand but there's a height limit for buildings on the island. So she's been eyeing her neighbors houses and trying to drive them off." Mugman added.  
  
"Then I am sure the neighbors will not mind us returning a dose of her own medicine to her." Glory rumbled, eyeing the high rise. "If it is a hive, than there are likely a number of drones, and even if they are exhausted, they are likely still loyal to the queen and hive. You will be overwhelmed if you go in and Honeybottoms orders them after you."  
  
"Ah, crud, I didn't even think about that." Cuphead muttered.  
  
"I mean, some of the workers might be too exhausted to fight but.. They are really loyal. I've heard of them getting into fights with other islanders just because they heard someone speak badly about Honeybottoms." Mugman added softly.  
  
"I'll take care of the drones than." Glory calmly declared. "I am used to fighting in a sky full of opponents, and I doubt the bees will be as agile as a Stryx. I will leave you two to conquer the crown."  
  
"You sure?" Mugman muttered worriedly.  
  
"Yeah! Once Rumor is down, those drones will run for the hills. They're cowards without her to back them up!" Cuphead eagerly declared, grinning at Glory.  
  
"I am. When you are ready, I will strike." He eyed the building silently, muscles flexing beneath his feathery form.  
  
"We're ready whenever you are!" Cuphead declared. Glory nodded, taking off and circling upwards. He flew up over the building, circling it, slowly picking up speed. He angled downwards after he had circled the building twice, taking all of his built up speed and slamming into the building, bringing his legs and tail forward just as he closed in on the building. The strike shook it _hard_ , and the soft drone coming from the building hitting a fever pitch instantly.  
  
"Hand over your honey, bees, or I will tear apart this building brick by brick!" Glory shouted, pushing off of the building and beginning to circle again. Windows were rapidly snapping open, miserable looking bee toons flying out, glaring at him furiously.  
  
Most of them were vaguely humanoid in shape, with long thin arms and legs, white gloves, and thick, round bodies, their hips indistinguishable from their torso. Their heads were round, with the odd cow lick here or there, big white eyes with pie cut pupils, and large red noses between the bottom point of their eyes. Beneath that was a surprisingly flesh colored jaw and lips, some sporting stubble. On their backs were small thin wings, arguably too small to take them to the sky, but take them up they did, the figures bending over with exhaustion, their ties fluttering in the air and their small stingers a bright yellow against the black pant like marking on their lower body.  
  
"What a miserable lot you are!" Glory crowed, sneering down at them. "Slow and bumbling weakling. I doubt the honey you produce is worth the pollen it was made with!"  
  
That was getting him a response, faces turning red with fury at his insults. The drone bees worked hard, and the one thing they staked their pride on was the quality of their honey. It was what made every miserable day in the offices of the Honeycomb Herald worth it, and every single action each one of them took in those offices were important! To suggest their work was a waste, their honey a disgrace.. It cut through their exhaustion, repressed stress and anger boiling to the surface as the buzz grew to a crescendo, sleeves rolled up and fists cracking.  
  
"That is more like it!" Glory laughed, flying into the crowd, using his size and weight to take out a swath of the enraged workers, sending them spiraling downwards, fury forgotten. Pain had a way of doing that to someone. "Show me your fury, your spirit!"  
  
The bees seemed uncertain, but their anger drove them forward, a cloud of bees trying to surround Glory. It was difficult, as he kept moving, never allowing them to surround him for long, dodging those who had their stingers ready and smacking down those who did not have the pointed end towards him. He was knocking bees down left and right, but they had numbers, so surely they would best him. He had to slip up eventually-  
  
  
\-------------  
  
  
Inside, Cuphead and Mugman ran through the entryway, hopping into an elevator. It took them up a single level, releasing them into a room far warmer than outside, the interior walls lined with honeycomb shaped holes. Some areas were covered with wax, covering a small vault of honey, while others were open, desks, folders, flow charts, and all manner of other business odds and ends present.  
  
"This place is weird." Cuphead stated, eyeing the interior.  
  
"Yeah. But where is Honeybottoms?" Mugman agreed, looking around. Papers and the like were scattered and dropped all over the place, the windows that had been opened to release the swarm having been shut behind them.  
  
"Hrr-Hmm. Rabble like you have no business with the queen!" A deep voice declared, the pair looking up to see a wide chested bee flying down. His hips and legs were noticeably smaller than his broad chest, covered in blue-black pants, and blue sneakers. He wore a police officer cap and jacket, his hands covered in the ever popular white gloves. Like the workers, his jaw are was flesh toned, but above that was a deep gold fuzz, a thick mustache beneath his red nose. His eyes were less tired than the drones, fixed in a determined glare.  
  
"You won't get a drop of our honey, you good for nothing thieves!" The Policeman bee declared, flying towards them and taking a swing when he closed in. The pair leapt out of the way, starting to jump up the various platforms set up outside the honey vaults and offices. The police bee growled, pulling something round and heavy from his pocket. It was black and white stripped, a tiny propeller at top propelling it upwards once he threw it. A light on the front began to blink once he released it, a warning buzz coming from it.  
  
"Bee bomb!" Cuphead shouted, the boys quickly jumping ever higher to avoid the bomb. It didn't have a chance to catch up, the bomb going off next to a freshly sealed vault. Hot, freshly made honey poured out as the seal was broken, the temperature in the hive kicking up in response. As it poured down, the heat broke more seals, releasing more and more honey, until their was a steadily rising tide of honey beneath them, the heat of it making seals above them begin to melt, honey dripping down as well.  
  
"We gotta hurry or we're going to drown!" Mugman shouted in alarm. Below them the policeman bee was quickly overtaken by the honey, and was left desperately paddling atop the flow. He couldn't get out of the sticky liquid, rendered utterly helpless by the substance.  
  
"I'd like to, but we still don't know where the Queen is!" Cuphead shouted back.  
  
"Who dares to disrupt my hive?" A voice shouted from above moments later. A truly massive bee appeared, one that was a bit larger than Glory, the female glaring down at them, her small wings keeping her just above the rising tide, and the climbing children. Her thorax was massive, though they couldn't say if there was a stinger or not thanks to the angel she flew at. Her round chest was smaller than the bottom part, two black arms sprouting from her chest, ending with fuzzy yellow bands beneath a pair of white gloves. Atop her large head was a crown, and in one hand she held a massive honey wand like a staff. Her lips were coated in red lipstick, and unlike her bee underlings, her nose was yellow, like her body.  
  
"Look at the mess you've made! I'll make encase you in honey and make statues of you!" Rumor Honeybottoms shouted, sending a wave of spells towards the boys. They started pelting her with magic bullets, seeing that there was no point in trying to talk to her, instead steadily wearing through her fury and her energy.  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
"Is that all?" Glory called from the sky, staring down at the numerous battered bees beneath him. It had been a lengthy fight, but he had finally smacked down every last one of the stubborn bees, though they hadn't exactly been a challenge. Well.. not individually. But they were together, in a large swarm, a challenge. He decided this battle would go towards his victory count, bringing it up to 772, the number having been previously raised by both Grim's defeat, and a couple battles he had engaged in between himself and a pair of vicious chimera he had come across and prevented from attacking Silvi city.  
  
He turned to the building, only now noticing the honey leaking from the eaves and windows, the hot liquid slowing oozing out as the pressure built up. Glory wasn't sure what to make of it, but his concern was intensifying as he stared at the steaming liquid. It wasn't scalding, but it would be uncomfortable to come in contact with, even for a moment. And it was _honey_ , not water, so swimming in it would be near impossible. As he watched even now, an odd bee dressed as a policeman slid out one window, still trapped in the flow of honey.  
  
As he eyed the windows, he noted how high the substance had gone, nearly to the very top, stopping just several levels below. He could see a large shadow inside twisting and squirming in what seemed to be pain, before abruptly falling still. Then one of the clear windows opened, the cup brothers peering out, holding a honey stained contract.  
  
"Hey, Glory! Can you give us an emergency evac?" Cuphead called, grinning as he held up the paper.  
  
Glory internally sighed with relief as he closed in to the building, clasping the sides of the building with his talons and angling himself so they could climb on. Once they were secure, he pushed off, wings beating fast, flying away from the hot updrafts coming out of the oozing building.  
  
"That was a bit of a mess.." Mugman muttered.  
  
"I doubt the neighbors will be upset, once they realize how you knocked down the queen's pride a couple levels." Glory rumbled.  
  
"Definitely." Cuphead laughed. "Heck, they're getting a bunch of free honey!" He licked some honey off of his elbow at that, grinning cheekily.  
  
They were both a bit sticky, and sweaty, Glory aiming for the area where a small section of the natural beach had been preserved. He landed by the water, walking in and using the cold waves to wash all three of them off. The boys held on, but not without a great deal of complaints, both shivering once Glory returned to the shore, shaking the water off himself.  
  
"Hey! Warn us next time!" Cuphead whined.  
  
"P-Please." Mugman added.  
  
"I'll consider it." Glory answered, laughter in his tone. "Now, I believe you mentioned something about a sailor debtor earlier?" He turned to eye the nearest pier, where a red and brown ship floated peacefully in the water.  
  
"Ye-Yeah." Mugman chattered, pressing into Glory's warm body. "Captain Brineybeard. I think that's his ship, actually."  
  
"We'll tackle him next, once you two have had a chance to breath and dry off." Glory rumbled, eyeing the ship quietly. Something about it felt.. odd. But it's position meant he would be able to help the boys pressure the captain into handing over the contract.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Im not going to go into deep detail on the remaining fights between the final battles and the current point the cupboys are at since I don't want things to start dragging, but Im not going to fully skip them either  
> iL:


	17. To conquer the impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
  
Alice, as Perci soon learned was the angels name, was an interesting addition to the tree house. At first she was very careful, mostly because she was nervous about the new types of beings that surrounded her, but slowly, she warmed up to them. Slowly, they began to see just how sweet a person she was.  
  
Her first time waking in the tree house had been a startling one, partly as everything that had happened came rushing back to her, and partly because she woke up with Oora on her chest. The Coastal Giladrake had startled her, but Perci had been quick to defuse the situation. The creature was squat and thick set, and the term wyvern would have fit him given the powerful back legs and lack of front legs. Instead he had a set of wings at his shoulders. Atop his thick neck was an oval shaped head, two jagged ears on each side.  
  
The beast had grouchily slid off of her, showing two long canines that extended over their lip. Brown eyes had looked back to the spot he had been sleeping on, his tail, which ended in a jagged fin , swishing lightly. On the upper portion of his tail as a line of bumps, not quite spikes, perhaps more for show, if his black and white form, vaguely orca like in its coloration and distributions, were not enough of a show.  
  
She had been quickly introduced to Oora, who was Lumi's companion they had found when exploring the distant coast. The pair were fast friends surprisingly, and despite being a coastal variant, the Giladrake had followed them home. Either way, he was pretty happy here, especially with the tree house. Not many Giladrakes could say they lived in a cool house like this. Either way, he was mostly harmless, unless you stepped on his tail. They had a very mild venom and powerful bite, but Oora was _mostly_ trained not to bother house guests. It made Lumi sad when he hurt them after all.  
  
Perci had been extremely apologetic, but Alice had been OK. He hadn't hurt her, and despite all his grumbling it was clear he wasn't going to hurt her. From there, they had quickly worked on the clothing issue, with Perci lending her a sewing kit and leaving the room to give her some privacy. While she worked, she had took into thought the fact that she likely wasn't going to be able to return to Tunis soon. Perci had offered help but.. She had a sense deep down that their was a reason Ozi went to such extreme measures to reach Wyvera.  
  
When she had come out, he barely recognized the clothing he had given her. She had fitted it to her form comfortably, and had used the remnants of her damaged dress to make a sash to put around her hips, and a bandana. It was clear she had accepted the circumstances she was in, and was taking steps to adapt. He wasn't going to stop her. He didn't think she would be going home soon. He had looked through his books while she rested, and had confirmed that Tunis was the same _legendary_ land of toons, that no one knew the location of.  
  
"You look good." Perci offered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head nervously. He wanted to be polite, but he didn't want to feel like he was overstepping boundaries and possibly stepping into a position that makes her uncomfortable. He had so little practice with people, given his reclusive lifestyle, that he always double guessed what he said.  
  
"Thank you." Alice answered, smiling at him reassuringly. She was picking up on his nervousness, though it seemed it was not because she was a toon. He had already said he knew and had met two toons in the past. It was less a fear and more a sense of shy nervousness. As if he didn't spend a lot of time with people.  
  
From there they had made their way to the workroom, which had a couple chairs and more space than her room. He didn't want her to feel trapped. They had started talking, quickly exchanging what they knew. She told him of Tunis, of the Councils, her purpose and work as an angel, and all the towns and city names she could think of. None of it rang a bell for him. In turn, he spoke on Wyvera, the three gods, Dracostryx, and all of the species he could think of, both feral and humanoid.  
  
Some of them sounded similar, but when they compared descriptions they didn't quite match. There was a distinct difference in their descriptions, or most of them. Sure, there were variations, but the way they both described these beast gave a distinct feel that they were not quite the same. It almost felt like they were speaking of variations of distinct species, like one would expect of countries that were near one another. Except Tunis and Wyvera didn't seem to be near one another.  
  
It was clear it was that the lack of potential leads was upsetting for Alice, but she wouldn't show it, trying to keep her head high. Once they ran out of immediate topics to speak on, an awkward silence descended on them. Perci nervously tapped his scarred fingers, scarred from years of life on his own, from accidents in alchemic experiments and accidents when trying to treat wounds.  
  
"I.. Uh.. Well, I need to go out and gather some supplies. I was doing it yesterday when we came across your.. situation, and I didn't want to leave you alone while you were unconscious and in a strange place." He paused, glancing to her. He had checked her wound, which was healing nicely, though she was still experiencing light spells of dizziness and light headaches. "You could.. uh.. Come, if you'd like. I can show you around, show you the safe vegetation, things to avoid, signs of danger to avoid..."  
  
He looked back down to his hands. "Unless you'd rather go to the village. I'll admit life isn't the easiest out here, but it's quiet and peaceful, and it's mostly safe if you know what you're doing. I-I don't mean to abandon you, I still want to help you find a way home, but.. I want you to be comfortable too."  
  
The human was blushing with embarrassment at his awkward delivery, wishing he was better at this. Alice gave him a friendly smile, any sense of potential danger wiped away as he fumbled with his words. It was clear he just wanted to help and do the right thing, and he had been practically bending over backwards to make her as comfortable as possible given the circumstances. It was very sweet of him. She may have been wrong with Ozi but.. Something told her she wasn't wrong here. There wasn't any odd flips in mood or inconsistencies in his behavior, like she had ignored when interacting with Ozi.  
  
"I'd rather stay here, like I said before." Alice answered, the human looking up in surprise. "You've already shown I can trust you and I'd like to pay you back for helping me, even if it's just helping you gather the resources you've used to help me."  
  
"Are you sure?" Perci asked. "There are bears, and wild Stryx. I mean.. The Stryx come in a variety of personalities, but it's better to leave them be unless they know you're there and are being friendly. But it's still dangerous here. The local wolves and I have a deal set up, so they aren't a threat, but there's always the chance of a rogue who isn't part of the local pack, and the land can be treacherous.. I.. You're not indebted to me. I helped you because it's the right thing to do. You don't have to pay me back."  
  
"But I want to." Alice answered calmly. Her calmness seemed to be helping him, the male's nervous twitching slowly fading as the conversation continued without him putting his foot in his mouth. He desperately didn't want a fight, especially in his own house. He lived out this far to escape the crueler portions of humanity and other sapient beings.  
  
"O-OK." Perci murmured, rubbing the back of his head and smiling a bit as a brilliant grin crossed the angels face. "But it will be a tough learning curve. I don't know what you do know, and what you may have seen in Tunis or learned there, so if I repeat anything you already know please forgive me. I don't mean to assume anything, I just want to make sure I don't leave out anything you need to know."  
  
"I understand." Alice answered, standing from her seat, her eyes showing excitement intermingling with her nervousness. "I have faith in your ability to teach me the ways of the wild. You certainly look well versed in them." He flushed, mumbling an answer she couldn't hear, face hot. Instead of repeating himself, he lead her to the hatch that covered the exit to the tree house. He unlocked it, hooking the ladder back into place, holding up the hatch to let her go first.  
  
Alice clambered down, though had to stop at one point as a wave of dizziness passed over her, Perci cursing his lack of foresight. Fortunately, she held on to the ladder, and made it down with no issue. Perci climbed after her, closing the hatch and locking it behind them, before quickly making his way down, apologizing to her for not going down first. She didn't make a big deal of it, smiling and easing the tension radiating from the human.  
  
From there began the first of many ventures they would undertake, Perci holding true to his word and beginning to teach her everything he could think of. He would reiterate things in latter lessons so they would stick, and tried to make it so the topics he moved between were interconnected. Once he was focusing on just giving information, he was noticeably more confident, easily answering her questions and listening intently to her input.  
  
Lumi trailed after them, though she spent more of her time digging around and getting into everything, looking for snacks and something to make the pair smile. Unfortunately, one such item she was certain would make Alice smile was a dead owl, which the Harpia proudly dropped into her unsuspecting hands. To the angels credit, she remained fairly calm, and Perci was quick to bag the dead animal in it's own sack, rewarding Lumi with praise for the find while discouraging her from giving Alice something that was dead again.  
  
While she didn't like the sight of a dead body, she understood why the pair collected it. The feathers were obviously necessary for Perci's arrow supplies.. The bones for bone meal and other matters.. and.. Well she didn't really know, but she was sure Perci would tell her if she asked. He would tell her things without holding back, or saying it was something she didn't need to worry about, or was beyond her station. He was hesitant with less pleasant details, and wouldn't go into specifics unless she asked, but he avoided with holding information. Part of it was to ensure she survived, but the other part of the matter was the fact he just didn't see a point in with holding information.  
  
It was a refreshing change from how her superiors in the Angelic Council, and Silvi's Sanctuary, treated her. He was clearly in a position of power, but he didn't hold it over to her, instead sharing that power and what he had that she didn't to empower her and bring her to an equal standing. Being out in the clear air of the Wyvera wilds seemed to help clear her mind and sharpen her perspective, especially in regards to the past. That blow to her head, her blind altruism towards Ozi.. It was a wake up call, and while it did not severely damage her ability to trust people, it did make her question her personnel conduct. Bendy and Pippen had been concerned for her, but she had been unable to see the reasons why until it was too late..  
  
The thought of Pippen made her pause mid walk, Perci glancing back to her in concern. They were crossing a stream by walking over a fallen tree, and while they had done what they could with his spare boots they were still lose and could trip her up. She quickly crossed the tree bridge, looking directly in the eyes once she as across. He paused, his amber eyes staring into her own dark eyes nervously, noticing an edge of deep brown to her pie cut pupils. They were so dark that it just blended in unless you looked closely.  
  
"Perci." Alice's voice brought him back to reality, the male flushing in embarrassment once more.  
  
He nodded his head, stuttering over a response. "I-I, Y-Yeah?"  
  
"Do you know someone named Pippen?" Alice asked, purely on a hunch. He paused, blinking in surprise.  
  
"Pippen? Pippen Clarke?" He asked. She jumped a bit in surprise as he stated the imps full name. She hadn't said it, and had only learned it when he heard Dewey calling her by her last name. "She has a pair of horns and a thin tail with a spade tip? She's my half sister."  
  
"She- You're half sister is an imp?" Alice echoed, dizzy with surprise as her hunch paid off. She was so sure he was going to say no, that there was no way that their matching eye colors would connect them. But.. If she was his half sister.. Did that make him half toon? Or-  
  
"I mean, sort of? She's half demon toon, according to our dad. Or.. well, her dad by blood. He.. He isn't my father by blood, but he is my father." He stumbled over that part, quickly pushing forward, not wanting to speak on that specific matter. "I thought you said you've never met a human? Pippen only has the horns and tail from our father. She's undeniably human otherwise."  
  
"I- No. No. She was a full imp when I met her in Tunis. She looked exactly like a completely toon imp." Alice answered, quickly sitting down on the log as the dizziness from the shock was compounded by the occasional dizziness she was already struggling with. Perci crouched by her, pulling out a water skin and encouraging her to drink, concerned she may be a bit dehydrated thanks to how long they had been walking.  
  
"What do you mean, when you met her in Tunis? I haven't heard anything about her discovering how to go there.. But.. I haven't been by the ranch in a while either.." His tone took on an edge of guilt, trying to process what he was being told. "Maybe.. When we were younger, I remember dad saying that demon toons are adaptable. Tunis only has toons.. and Pippen has always been sensitive about what she is, even if she doesn't show it. Maybe her desire not to stick out activated an ability she didn't even realize she had. It wouldn't be the first time she discovered an ability through an emotional response.."  
  
"It.. It makes so much sense." Alice finally murmured as she finished taking several swigs of water. "I feel absolutely ridiculous for saying this, but it makes sense. She knew things, things that I assume any Wyverian would know, but she knew so little about Tunis and things common to our country." She sat back a bit, looking up to the sky. "Stars above, I never would have guessed. She is odd, but I don't think any of us would have guessed she is a half toon."  
  
".. I hope this realization doesn't make you look down on her.." Perci murmured softly after several moments of silence, the angel looking to him in surprise. "She can't help who are parents were. Who her parents are by blood. And.. It isn't her fault that she knows so little about her toon side. Dad wanted to teach her. I know he did. And he was starting before.."  
  
"Before..?" Alice echoed. His head was bowed, but he looked up at her voice, the pain and misery in his face answering her. It told her no specifics, but it told her what she needed to know. Their father was gone, likely their mother as well given he did not speak of her in the present tense, and likely gone for a long time. "I'm so sorry, Perci..."  
  
"I- It's OK." He stuttered. "I- It's been years. They were murdered and.. Pippen and I were separated for a long time. It was only three years ago that I found out she was still alive." He was trying to keep a calm, formal tone, like the tone he had used while teaching her about the various aspects of the wild, but he was struggling. His eyes were wet, and he quickly turned away, scrubbing them dry.  
  
"Forgive me. It's.. It's been a long time since I explained this to anyone." The last person he had spoken on this matter too was Gru, and that was three years ago, the same time he had checked out the rumor of the rancher with devilish horns and a spade tipped tail. None of them had brought up the past since then, instead focusing on the present, and future. A tinge of shame darted through him at how easily his emotions had gotten away from him, despite all the time he had spent alone and working on his self control.  
  
"I understand." Alice murmured, her hand going to his shoulder. He hadn't even realized she stood up. "It sounds like you two have had a difficult past but.. I am glad you found each other again. I.. I am grateful to have met Pippen, even in light of this new information. Her heritage doesn't change how good of a friend she has been to me."  
  
He looked back to her, smiling weakly. "Thank you. I. Forgive me. I try not to drop this onto people. It's not my place to do so. You are correct. Our history is.. a bit convoluted and messy. But we try to focus on the present." He paused. "Did.. Did she give any hints as to why she was there?"  
  
"Hm.. No. She didn't tell us a lot about herself, and now I understand why, but.. She mentioned once that she couldn't go back home and.. Bendy did mention she was trying to deliver an 'impossible' letter when he met her. And then there was the car accident, and the Steins took her in.." Alice paused, trying to remember who the letter was for. "I remember Bendy mentioned the seal looked like a strange crow over a full moon, closed with blue wax."  
  
Perci listened, cocking his head. Pippen likely wasn't in trouble she wouldn't have run from the ranch to a place that sounded as complex as Tunis to escape her problems. So her inability to return must be literal. "That sounds like the seal of Moonli Ranch. They're a ranch on Moonli Mountain, which is close to Sunna Mountain, where Sunna ranch, Pippen's home, is. Pippen and Gru were taught how to take care of Stryx and breed them their by the master of the ranch, and they still do work and favors for her occasionally. They have a good relationship from what I've heard. Though I don't know how Moonli Ranch is connected to this.. But.. If she is working for Ms. Moonthorn, than that means they will know the path to Tunis."  
  
"I could go home.." Alice murmured. "I could go back and tell everyone how wrong we are about humans.. I.. There's so much I've learned, and I can't imagine how I will begin telling everyone but I must! We can't let this pointless animosity blind both sides anymore!"  
  
"We could get you there. It will take a week, maybe two, but Lumi and I could get you there. Agatha Moonthorn is friendly towards toons, even if she's a bit of a tough cookie.." He paused, laughing nervously. "She's a bit rough around the edges, but I don't doubt she will help you. We should probably stop by Sunna as well and warn Gru about what is going on with Pippen. He must be worried sick."  
  
"Whose Gru?" Alice asked.  
  
"Who is Bendy? And the Steins?" Perci asked in turn, the angel smiling a bit at him.  
  
"The Steins are Henry Stein, a mannish toon, and his son Bendy Stein, a devil toon. They're the ones who have been housing Pippen since she turned up in Silvi City." She paused, considering her next bit of info, deciding to follow Perci's example. "In fact, she and Bendy are in a relationship."  
  
"A relationship?" Perci offered, blinking in surprise. "Pippen?" Alice nodded. "I guess it was inevitable she would fall for someone but.. A full toon who doesn't know her secret.. That makes things complicated."  
  
"That is true.." Alice murmured, her face twisting with concern. "The two of them have grown very close but.. I think Pippen has been meaning to tell us. It's just a feeling I get from our past conversations but I think she has been trying to find a way to tell us."  
  
"... I wish her the best." Perci murmured, turning back in the direction they had come from. "We should head back. We need to get ready for the trip to Moonli."  
  
"Oh? Alright." Alice murmured, surprised by the abrupt change. Perci's eyes were concerned, but he wasn't speaking on it, instead forging ahead. She didn't push him to speak on it further, instead following him.  
  
  
============  
  
  
The next several battles were possibly the most unique battles Glory had ever participated in, though it didn't deter him in the slightest. If anything, it only served to excite him, and make him battle all the harder. Neither he nor the boys escaped completely unscathed, but they were holding up well, and the few chipped pieces that came off the boys were quickly collected by the Harpia, and stored away in a pouch he had kept beneath his thick feathers. It was the same he had used when he went to the casino, and still had too gold tokens inside. He carefully put the pieces inside, trying to position them so they wouldn't be damaged further.  
  
First on their list of remaining debtors was one 'Captain Brineybeard.' The found the heavy set mannish toon lurking about on his ship, the same red and brown ship he had eyed earlier. The Captain himself was unshaven, a thick beard splitting apart to reveal a confident grin, one of his large eyes covered with an eye patch, a red nose above his jaws. His black hair was covered with a red bandana, while his shirt was a grey matter roughly patched together. His pants were a shade of red deeper than his ship's paint, with a deep brown belt around his waste.  
  
Once it was clear they were approaching him, the Captain hadn't even given the boys a chance to speak to him, launching into attack immediately. They quickly learned the _ship_ itself was also alive, a rare form of large object toon, and one very attached to it's captain. Large eyes glared at them from the bow as it split open the pair of beams on it's lower portion, revealing a mouth, and spat out canon ball after canon ball. A crane on the ship was swung around to hover over the dock, a glaring barrel occasionally dropped to try and catch the boys.  
  
Glory didn't waste his time remaining on the dock, though he couldn't get to the boys before the fight began. He took off, flying over the ship, dodging pink shots of some mystery substance the captain was forcibly shooting out of some sort of pink octopus with a mouth beneath it's eyes instead of between it's legs. While the boys worked on the front end, he worked on harassing the ship itself, tearing the sails and slamming into the deck, cracking the wood and interrupting the boats ability to support it's captain.  
  
He didn't get to stay there for long, as it seemed the ship and captain had a number of aquatic companions, either as their crew or just contracted to help them, and he was soon forced to return to the dock to support the boys. With a whistle, the captain could summon a massive shark, which would throw itself onto the dark and try to catch the boys, or a squid, that darted around the surface of the water throwing blobs of ink towards the dock. Finally, there was a squad of 'dogfish', fish with bulldog faces, who would hop up and flop and chase the combatants.  
  
The cup bros easily dodged the wild storm of opponents, the challenge on par with the training Glory had put them through, and they didn't have to worry about the add ons for long. Not with Glory slamming the fish back into the water, raking them with talons that discouraged them from returning.  
  
Eventually, the Caption was thrown overboard, and the ship was forced to surrender as Glory plucked him from the water. They had both seen the damage he could do, and when he landed at the dock in a position that allowed the boys to point their 'finger guns' at him, it sealed the deal. They had quickly forfeited the soul contract, the Captain sullenly setting to work repairing his poor battered companion.  
  
"I feel kind of bad.." Mugman murmured once they returned to the land bound end of the dock. He was staring back at the battered pair and their broken, defeated faces. They couldn't reveal they _weren't_ going to give the collected soul contracts to the devil, not with their proximity to the devil who was undoubtedly watching them to some degree or another.. And the pair had been more than ready to kill them, but it was a move of a desperate being.  
  
"They will mourn their poor choices and hopefully learn from them." Glory stated simply. "It is inevitable that one side will suffer sorrow, while another delights in victory. That is simply the way of most battles."  
  
"That, and they tried to kill us." Cuphead added in a flat tone.  
  
"And they tried to kill us without hesitation." Glory agreed.  
  
"I know but.. I still feel bad." Mugman murmured, bowing his head.  
  
"There is no shame in your empathy, Mugman." Glory reassured quietly. "So long as you do not let it blind you to reality, and prevent you from acting when you must. But it is what stops us from becoming mindless beasts."  
  
"That's honestly not something I expected to hear from someone like you." Cuphead quipped to the bird. They were walking towards the upper area of the docks, near the bridge between the third and fourth isle. There was a ship mast sticking up from there, ragged purple sails hanging from it, the crows nest still intact at top. According to their information, the next debtor was known to hang around that area..  
  
"I am a fighter, but I am not a monster." Glory rumbled. "I know better than to blindly attack and slaughter.." And, if he was honest, being with the boys had tempered his impulses to a degree. Just as they had been tempered when he had helped to rear Redfall when he was still just a chick. But deep down, he was still a fighter.  
  
  
\----------------  
  
It took a half hour, but the finally tracked down the next debtor, who seemed to be laying low in the wake of Captain Brineybeards' lose. Fortunately, the large being couldn't hide forever, and when they tried to make for open waters after skulking under the bridge for a half hour, they honed in on her quickly.  
  
The boys employed a pair of 'airplanes', small wood and metal things capable of shooting bullets fairly quickly and occasionally dropping bombs. Glory wasn't sure what to think of the noisy, bothersome things, but if it made them capable of fighting in the air, that was a bonus for them.  
  
Cala Maria, the second ocean bond debtor, was another massive being, most likely even larger than Grim Matchstick. There was no saying for certain, as the large mermaid was submerged from the hip down, the beginning of a scaly tail showing against the waves. Her skin was pale, and her hips wide and her chest small. Her bosom was covered by a pair of massive sea shells, and two massive claw marks scarred her right arm, the sight of which making Glory question what manner of beasts the oceans of Tunis may hide.  
  
Her face was lovely by humanoid standards, soft and slightly curvy, her lips down up with pink lipstick and sea-green eye shadow over turquoise eyes. Thin black eyebrow, clearly carefully tended to, and a small nose, and thick eye lashes finished her face, which were framed by several thick purple tentacles. Atop her head was a seemingly dead purple octopus, three of it's tentacles curled up over her face to act as 'bangs', the other tentacles acting as her hair.  
  
The mermaid, despite her flirtatious greeting, proved to be a tricky combatant, employing a number of allies to help her. First were a trio of massive fish she could plunge into the water and return with, squeezing odd projectiles out of each one until they finally leapt from her arms, filling the air with fire, ice, or electrical projectiles depending on which fish she was holding.  
  
Then there was the seahorse. Not an actual sea horse, but a literal toon horse, a flotation device beneath it's forelegs keeping it from sinking. It's mane was more fin like that fu, and it would duck it's large head and suck up sea water to spray at them. Not.. Very effective in damaging them, but it was annoying, and a couple bullets from the planes, and a swipe from Glory popped the flotation device and sent it sinking.  
  
After him came a turtle, with a canon installed into it's shell, clutching it's red bowler hat every time it shot a bomb into the air, trying to strike them. To make matters worse was the third companion, or companions, a seemingly endless barrage of puffer fish, puffed up and floating into the air to try and catch the planes or Glory with their sharp quills. Those made dodging the bombs harder, and far more annoying.  
  
However, her companions weren't the strongest, and Cala Maria was soon changing her tactics. When she reached for a companion, this time she pulled up an eel, the large being grinning at her as a companion erupted from the surf on the other side. They bit her, electrocuting her, triggering an unnerving change.  
  
Her skin gained a greenish tint, while her teeth sharpened into fangs, a snake like tongue flicking from her mouth. Turquoise irises were exchanged for sharp snake like pupils over yellow sclera, her lips turning sea-green as well. Her shell bra, oddly enough, turned into seaweed, and her fingers took a more pointed tip. On top of that the Octopus tentacles came to life, the ends morphing into snake heads, yellow eyes glaring at them as they flashed sharp fangs.  
  
That.. made things a bit more complicated. Glory had to take greater care with his strikes, as he now had to deal with three active snake heads, the other five appearing inactive for the moment, possibly reserving their strength. To add to this, she could now shoot a beam of light from her eyes that would begin to turn them to stone, though she could only aim it in the direction she looked in. The sensation was extremely unnerving, and Glory was dropped dangerously close to the furious, choppy surf the one time he was caught in the beam. Fortunately, the boys took a risk and slammed their planes into him, breaking the shell of stone and allowing him to fly once more.  
  
They didn't let up despite the added damage, and soon they had battered her back towards the island, pinning her between the bridge and freedom. She hadn't been paying attention to where they were herding her, only on attacking, and soon found herself trapped in the shallower waters once more. They laid the attacks on hard and thick, until a piercing yell from the mermaid turned gorgon forced them to stop.  
  
"Enough!" She cried, clutching a swollen bump and several slash marks on her cheek. Her snakes were checking her face worriedly, glaring at the boys and bird. A contract appeared in one large hand, the battered mermaid holding it out to them. "Take it, you brutes. You'll only take on thing from me today.." It was nervous uncertainty that they collected the contract, quickly retreating to leave the mermaid to mourn her loss, not eager to see if she would change her mind.  
  
"That was a mess." Cuphead grunted as they landed on the dock, the airplanes battered but intact. "That lady was crazy!"  
  
"I thought she was kind of cute." Mugman murmured, still looking over his shoulder at the massive woman with a dreamy look.  
  
"Some dams are not worth pursuing, Mugman." Glory huffed. He had gained a degree of respect for her, as he hadn't expected such an exhilarating fight from someone who started their battle the way she did, but he was still strictly interested in other Stryx. But that didn't mean he couldn't give the boy advice. "From what I've heard, the merfolk are more trouble than they're looks are worth."  
  
"I though you said we shouldn't make assumptions on beings because of their type." Mugman murmured, still casting looks towards the maid.  
  
"That does not mean you can not take into account a pattern of habits from a specific type. You just take the information with a grain of salt." Glory muttered. "But remember it isn't the end all, be all of things. Who is next?"  
  
"We have four more." Cuphead declared, looking over the list Mugman had been holding onto, since he was still distracted by the mournful maiden. "We've got some guy named Dr.Kahl who hides out in the junkyard.. Werner Werman. That's going to be a bit of trouble. Elder kettle gave a potion so we can reach him in his mouse hole, but I don't think there's enough for it to effect you too. And there's Sally Stageplay. Heard she won't come out of the theater until our times up, and the Theater owner will have a fit if we take off the roof or something like that. There isn't enough space for you in there."  
  
Glory frowned, huffing softly. "That it seems I can only help you deal with this Dr.Kahl."  
  
"You could also try and find the Phantom Express while we deal with the other two." Mugman offered, finally refocusing on the present "There are a couple trains that work the rails in the mountain and the area just past it where there's a small plateau where the mining operation works, but finding the Phantom express is a bit of a pain in the butt. Once we're done with the others, we'll find you and help out."  
  
"The phantom express?" Glory rumbled. "You'll have to describe it to me on the way to the junkyard. Let's keep in mind the schedule you need to keep." He started moving the pair dismissing their airplanes to where ever toons sent their items. He had heard it referred to as 'their pocket' or 'hammer space', but whatever it was it allowed for some flexible storage, depending on the toons personality degree of skill.  
  
As they made their way to the junkyard, which was on the northern end of the town, on he lowest point so the smell of the working machines didn't drift down to the town. It was a fenced in area, with several buildings built around the junkyard proper for various types of processing. The junkyard itself was enclosed in a second fence, taller and stronger than the first, and held mountains of broken machinery, parts, and metal. It was very similar to the one Pippen had described to him that was near Silvi City, only it was far less sprawling and far more care had gone into making sure that the junkyards presence did not disturb the island occupants, and was worked through faster than the one by the city.  
  
Glory easily took them over the fences, flying high to look over everything present. At first glance, there ws simply mountains of junk metal, and nothing else, but a closer look slowly unveiled a secret. Hidden in one of the piles of junk was something far smoother nd cleaner, more purposeful than the junk and scrap stacked around it. Glory spotted a puff of purple hair hidden among the debris, and decide to investigate by tipping the top of the carefully constructed pile to the ground.  
  
It fell away, revealing a massive automaton, the top of it's head currently missing. In the brain cavity was a mannish toon who looked very human if not for his exaggerated toon features and large eyes. He wore a lab coat an black pants green spectacles surround his eyes. Bushy purple brows arched up as he gave them a menacing grin, his thick mustache and beard parting to reveal perfect white teeth. Most of his hair was missing from the top of his head, but there was some on the sides, sticking out quite a bit.  
  
"Well well, what do we have here? A pair of bothersome children and an overgrown specimen of the Harpia harpyja family? No matter! My automaton is unconquerable, and you shall make for a perfect first test!" The mad scientist declared.  
  
"We'll see about that!" Cuphead shouted back, staying on Glory for the moment.  
  
"Yeah!" Mugman cried to punctuate his agreement.  
  
The robot abruptly snapped upright, the head cap snapping over Dr. Kahl to protect him as the automaton came on. It was vaguely humanoid in appearance, with a jaw that hung by a screwed on hinge. Two large yellow eyes glowed as it came to life, it's pupils slits, a thick triangular nose between the eyes. Along the edge of it's head cap were little lights, which flared to light as well, glowing the same color as the eyes. It's chest was roughly rectangular, rounded at the top but flat at the bottom, and a bit wider near the top as well. The shoulders were round pieces of metal hinged on another screw, with thin flexible arms coming from there. In it's chest was a hole, currently covered shut by a shutter, as well as a second shuttered rectangular space on it's lowest chest space. It seemed to only be completed from the hips up, the legs nowhere to be seen as it sprang to life.  
  
An antenna sprouted from it's head, a thing laser tracing their path and locking on Glory. He dropped just in time to avoid the laser at full power moments later, having felt the weak heat and burn of the tracer laser. The boys were quick to pick up on the danger, letting Glory fly while they aimed for the antenna. Small pink robots shot out of it's chest cavity to follow them, spitting out a laser as well once it neared, but never quite succeeded thanks to Glory's maneuverability. The pair may have been able to fly thanks to their planes, but they didn't have the practice and know how that Glory did from years of flight.  
  
Before long the antenna snapped off from the barrage of bolts, the robot glaring at them angrily, before snapping it's jaw open, revealing a canon. Fortunately, it didn't shoot cannon balls, but instead nuts and bolts which were technically less dangerous but had a wider shot range than a cannon ball. Glory ended up with more than a couple of nips and cuts through his feathers and a couple to the chest, but otherwise remained flying.  
  
It was clear they would need more fire power, and the pair directed him upwards, Glory following their lead. Once they were high above the robot, the pair hopped off his back, pulling their planes out of their 'pockets'. Glory dove down to distract the robot as the pair slid into their planes and set to work starting them, soon joining him in the battle. Their bullets and bombs were far more effective than the magic bullets at cutting through the robots metal hide.  
  
The change in tempo was not missed, and soon the robot was furiously shooting all manner of attacks through the sky, trying to keep up with the damage they were putting out. Pretty soon the body was falling apart, revealing a red heart on a spring. They didn't let up, focusing on the heart, which slowly fell apart, until finally the head abruptly shot off the neck. It began to fly around furiously, trying to batter them out of the sky with blunt force alone.  
  
His wild flight pattern made it tricky to keep up with, but once Glory landed a blow, he didn't let go, furiously biting at the top of the head, which was already loose. It wasn't the easiest job, thanks to all the spinning the head was doing, but he managed to do a good deal of damage before finally dropping off. The cup brothers took it over from there, targeting the weakened area until it finally came off. The head made a harsh landing, throwing the scientist around until the cap finally broke off, sending him rolling out and exposed to the world.The scientist finally called it quits than, not willing to risk his physical being any further, holding out the contract to the cup bros as they closed in.  
  
"That is a mighty Harpia harpyja you with you. He completely upturned all of my equations and performed outside of projected capabilities for a Harpia harpyja, even one that size." The scientist stuttered, bobbing dizzily.  
  
"A Harpia ha-what?" Cuphead echoed.  
  
"A Harpia Harpyja- Or in layman's terms, a Harpy Eagle." The battered scientist stated, staring at Glory with clear fascination. Now that he looked at him closer, the bird before him had distinct differences from a common harpy eagle, most noticeably being the secondary tail.  
  
"Well you were half correct. I am a Harpia." Glory rumbled. "A Harpia Dracostryx. Either way, unless you boys have changed your mind, I will move on to locate this 'Phantom express' for you."  
  
"It would be best." Mugman murmured, the pair ignoring the scientist listening in on the conversation as he tried to recover from his beating. "We can't really take you inside to take care of the other two before the express, and that's the one we were most worried about, because it's supposed to be fairly hard to find."  
  
"I'll locate it." Glory rumbled.  
  
"I knew we could count on you, Glory." Mugman cheered.  
  
"Yeah, you've been a big help to us! I don't know how we're going to pay you back." Cuphead added.  
  
"Think nothing of it. The battles alone are enough, and the knowledge you both are safe and alive." Glory rumbled, rolling his shoulders. "If you have any trouble with the remaining pair, do not hesitate to call on me. I will come back and help you." And with that he was off, leaving the boys to deal with a germanic mouse and an over eager actress.  
  
  
\---------  
  
Dusk was slowly closing in by the time Glory finally distinguished the Phantom Express from all of the other trains that ran through the area. After shaking down several frightened conductors, he had finally gotten a description of the train and how to tell it apart from the others. The most prominent feature was the fact it was a 'passenger' train, despite the fact all other trains working along the tracks of the fourth isle were 'working' trains, with carriages meant for cargo and not passengers. The second was it's odd color, somewhere between a faded pink color, with old ragged wooden carts.  
  
Once he had found it he easily tracked the pattern of tracks it followed, one the other conductors avoided. It was more or less an vague oval of tracks it had to itself, with a secondary track running parallel to it in most places. So long as it didn't stray from it's path, it wouldn't be too terribly difficult to pursue, though he wasn't sure how the boys would keep up with it without him.  
  
That is, until he spotted them on a motorized handcar, the pair taking turns to pump the engine and keep it going. It was odd, but when he caught up to them they insisted on using it so they could perform a two pronged attack on the train. He simply accepted, trusting their judgement, and wanting to get away from the noise of the motor. If they wanted to ride that bothersome thing, than that was there decision.  
  
The train itself turned out to be a complicated battle, more so than any of them had expected. As the neared the caboose of the train, a large, light blue ghost with a single empty eye socket and eyes in it's palms, slid out of one of the back windows, the lower portion of it's body remaining inside the train. He started throwing the eyeballs from his hands at the pair, the missing eyes regenerating moments later only to be thrown once more. It seemed ghosts ran by their own rules not that they had time to think on it or care.  
  
The eyes bounced behind the train as they were thrown at the brothers, who managed to shoot most away, or dodge them. They couldn't even reach Glory, unless the spirit focused on him, and after several tussles with Glory, and a number of bullets from the undeterred cups, sent him fleeing back into the caboose. With that they moved up to the next section, the handcar running parallel to three passenger carts.  
  
Things got more interesting here, as a massive skeleton burst the roofs off of each passenger cart, though he only put out his arms and head, instead of his entire body. He glared down at them, trying to smash them with his hands, but the boys simply moved the handcar beneath his head, the only area he couldn't reach. He was so busy focusing on below him that he didn't even notice Glory before the bird slammed into the back of his head, raking beak and talons across the bone.  
  
He retreated, but the skeleton soon returned, rearranging which hole his head and arms came out of, the boys once more simply moving under his head to avoid the attacks, showing him with magic bullets. The conductor only managed this twice, before retreating fully, allowing the boys to move up to another three passenger carts.  
  
Once more, another enemy appeared to stop them, but this time it was a pair. The figures looked similar to pistons, with large round heads atop thin tubes and knifes instead of teeth. They took turns raining lightning from their mouths down upon the boys, but could only do it one at a time. Again, all it took was some simple maneuvering to avoid the attacks, and a hail of magic bullets took the pair down pretty quickly, so quickly Glory barely got any hits in. The pair melted back into their individual compartments, overheated by the battle, and finally removing the last barricade between them and the head of the train.  
  
As Glory had come to expect, the head of the train was also alive, and was a steam locomotive with a blue face on the front of it, and a greyish-purple body. It was constantly grinning, even as it glared at the approaching group, deciding now to uncouple itself from the rest of the train. Once it was free of it's other parts, it stood on all fours, like a horse, with flexible metal tubes connecting the body to the wheels as it galloped. It even gained a 'tail' with a light bulb on it, which, when pulled, would open the boiler and reveal it's heart.  
  
Given it's heart was literally encased in fire, the best Glory could offer was hampering the trains movements, and holding the tail to force the boiler open. The boys took advantage of this and rained bullets endlessly onto the heart, until finally the train came stumbling to a stop, dropping back onto it's wheels like a proper locomotive. Steam exploded from it as it slid to a stop, coughing up it's contract once it was completely still, chugging softly.  
  
They quickly collected the contract, and abandoned the handcart for Glory's back, as he would be far faster in getting them back to the other side of the mountains. Night was deepening around them, the moon slowly rising, a prominent reminder of time ticking away for the boys. Glory flew hard and fast, not bothering to near the ground until they were right on top of the casino entrance, which was too narrow for him to risk flying through.  
  
"Are you ready for this?" Glory questioned, the boys nodding. "Then let's go."  
  
There was no time for talk, time was ticking away and the boys needed to get those contracts to the devil quickly. However, the gate to the side portion of the casino, where the devil's personal office was present, was locked up tight, leaving them only with the option of going into the casino itself. Outside of the music playing over the speakers, it was eerily quiet, the usual crowd missing in wake of the tension that had been mountain all day.  
  
As they walked in, Glory was several steps behind the boys, but quickly found himself unable to move as a massive bird cage of all things fell from the ceiling, trapping him in place. He screeched with indignation, biting and clawing at the metal, the curve topped bird cage not budging no matter how much he battered it. The boys were quick to return to his side, but were distracted as the sound of clapping slowly began.  
  
"Well, lookee here! You actually pulled it off...but you made me lose a bet!! And for that, you ain't seein' the big cheese just yet. We're gonna play a little game first! And you aren't bringing that overgrown buzzard with you, either." The dice headed manager chuckled, snapping his fingers.  
  
The pair vanished, before reappearing over one of the tables specially set up for his 'game'. Glory could only watch as the pair were forced to roll a die over and over again, the number moving a dial on the table towards a 'fin' point. However, for each roll and position landed on, a different casino employee was brought in to fight them, the battle heavily stacked again them and blood-boiling unfair. At least, it would have been unfair if not for the fact the boys were steadily trouncing everything thrown at them, steadily upsetting the manager more and more, though he tied not to show it.  
  
  
========  
  
  
With every passing hour Pippen grew more tense, her hands shaking as she tried to distract herself with writing and scribbling in her journal. The feeling of utter helplessness had slowly sunk into her as she watched the egg shift and wiggle, but refuse to hatch, and the hours steadily pass. Once they had reached a certain point, a certain sense of certainty had hit, and that was when the shaking had started.  
  
She would have to tell them. Most likely _today_ , or when she was finally able to go home. Glory had shredded any chances of preparing for this with his impulsive flight, one he better have a damn good excuse for. She kept swinging between fury at Glory for throwing a wrench in everything and a sense of resignation towards what would come. Surely he wouldn't have flown out for no reason. He wouldn't.. would he?  
  
_Unless he was finally fed up with this game and wanted to force her hand._ Pippen shook her head, trying to ignore the dark voice that crept through her mind. Glory was impatient, but he wasn't an idiot and he wouldn't undermine her like this, no matter how jealous he was of the pair of toons who she spent more time with due to the current circumstances. He wouldn't do that.  
  
Pippen looked back up towards the cave ceiling, wrapping her wings around herself for warmth as she shivered with anxiety. It would be OK. They would be surprised, they would be a bit upset she had kept this a secret for so long-  
  
_Being awfully optimistic with thoughts like that._ Her mind whispered. She knew how much they feared humans in Tunis, and there was no avoiding admitting to what she was anymore. How else was she going to explain Glory and Dracostryx? She couldn't keep lying to them. If she kept secrets even after this point, they would never be able to trust her again. She had to tell them. There was no more avoiding it.  
  
_They're going to hate you. You're a lying monster to them. A **monster**._ Pippen wrapped her wings tighter around herself, the shaking intensifying. She had been lying so long and it had been hard to keep it going, and she had felt so terribly guilty the entire time, but it didn't change the fact she had lied. She was a monster in their midst this entire time, and they had put their trust into her.  
  
"I'm not a.." Pippen mumbled, partially grateful for the fact that Lulu had to go home. She would look insane, speaking to herself like this. And yet she still felt so terribly alone once the sheep had left. Lulu had said she seemed to be a good being, but she didn't know what Pippen was. None of them knew what she was. And they would hate her for it.  
  
Night continued to close in, Pippen silently staring out through the cave entrance, watching the sky darken. Had Glory.. Had Glory abandoned her? Surely not. He wouldn't.. He wouldn't....  
  
  
========  
  
  
"Well, well, well... Look how far you've come! Not only did you bust up my good-for-nothing lackey, King Dice, but I see you've brought a trouble customer to me as well as my soul contracts! Hand them over, and join my team! You two will never have to fear a thing ever again!" The devil laughed, staring at the trio from his red and gold throne.  
  
Once the boys had busted through the fighters King Dice had thrown at them, they had quickly given him a beating to remember, the dice finally surrounding once he was cracked and bruised. The spell work he had in place had shattered at that point, the pair to returning to normal size, and the cage around Glory to fade away to nothing. From there it had been a simple matter of pulling a switch under the counter to open the Devil's gate, and walk over to the sole tower that the casino owner called home.  
  
The interior was grandiose, just like the casino, with white marble pillars holding up the ceiling. At the top were golden decorations, as there was at the bottom, though the bottom ones were designed to resemble flames. Most of the wall was painted red, with gold between each section, the floor a fancy black and white marble. A thick red carpet led up to the devil's throne, which sat atop a raised dais, from which the black furred being smiled wildly at them with a devilish look.  
  
"That's where you're wrong, devil!" Cuphead shouted.  
  
"We aren't giving you anything!" Mugman agreed.  
  
"We're here for our souls, and then we're leaving!" The pair declared together, ignoring the flames gathering around them in a circle. They stood tall and brave, even in the face of the most powerful being on the island, and Glory couldn't have been more proud of them.  
  
"Welching on me just like all the others, eh? I'll teach you for backing out of a deal!" The devil laughed, still grinning though his eyes had turned hateful, a forked tongue flicking out of his maw. "You come in here all high and mighty, and yet you two are working with a murderer!"  
  
The boys looked to Glory in confusion, the Harpia standing tall despite the Devil playing what he believed would be a card that would tear the group apart. "That is where you are wrong." The devil frowned, leering at the bird. There was no lie here, no attempt to avoid what he had done. The bird was speaking the truth! "I did not murder the angel I retrieved from this place. That was merely a tail to satisfy you're blood thirsty manager. I am not the simple minded beast you take me for. You have no cards left to play here"  
  
"You're reign of terror is over, Devil!" Cuphead shouted, both brothers pointing their magically charged fingers at him, as Glory shifted to a battle stance.  
  
"Have at you than! You will burn, just like these fools!" The devil declared, though he did not bother to rise from his chair. Instead, his head morphed into something more goat like, as the room twisted into a volcanic scene around them, the flames dissipating for now. His hands, turned to hooves, stretched to the sides of the room, into the shadows, before reappearing from a new angle, far larger than before and trying to catch them between both hooves.  
  
The boys jumped out of the way, pelting the devil with shots as Glory took to the air, evading the first strike. The air was thick with imps like the one that had helped him during his first visit to the casino, and they were quick to close in on him, knowing the price for cowardice when the devil called on them. Purple, red, and blue, they're skin tones were a different hue from Pippen's, and their eyes a sickly yellow, bulbous noses and awkwardly shaped bodies abounding between them. It made it far easier to attack and strike them down, though it brought the amount of time he had been gone into sharp focus.  
  
Below him the boys were doing their best, evading magical blue flames and the few imps who made their way to the ground. The devil kept using the 'goat head' attack, as well as one where his head sprouted for legs and eight eyes, disconnecting from it's body, which had gained six arms, and jumping around to try and slam into them with it's spider form. He didn't seem to have much in the way of other attacks, and while they would have been severely damaging if they had hit, the boys were dodging them with ease. They may have been chipped and dinged up from their past fights but to assume that meant they were easy to hit was a sore mistake on the devil's part.  
  
The air was thick with the devil's bulbous imps, Glory knocking them from the sky as they tried to rain fire down upon the boys. He took the chance to take a couple swipes at the devil as well when he wasn't expecting it, earning him a harsh glare each time, but he was always out of range moments later. As the imps fell, the fled, nervously looking back to their boss and hoping he didn't notice as they dragged their bruised forms away.  
  
"Rrrr- Enough of this!" The devil shouted several minutes into the fight. "If you want your souls so bad, then you're going to have to fight me on my home turf!" With that the skeleton tore his skin off, no blood or guts to be seen, only his skeleton, which jumped down into a hole that appeared in the floor. Flames began to close in from all sides, forcing the boys down, as well as Glory, who squeezed through the hole. His thick plumage closed in around him, allowing him through.  
  
What they entered could only be described as a hellish cavern, fire and lava boiling far below. Black rock surrounded them, some floating rocks acting as platforms for the boys to stand on. The devil had transformed once more, not into a new beast, but into something far larger, larger than any being Glory had ever encountered. His head, which had taken a red tint like the rest of his body with their arrival in his domain, dwarfed even the largest Gryph, his horns and eye glowing gold like hot metal. Small imps and fat imps with tiny wings flew about, trying to distract the boys and bring an end to the Devil's rampage, which was really disrupting things in this section of the underworld.  
  
"Coward!" Cuphead called as the figure glared down at them. He raised a massive hand to swing at them, only to be stopped as Glory crashed into the top of his head, talons and claws tearing away. A terrible screech escaped the gargantuan Devil, who desperately tried to bat the bird away, leaving him open to attacks from the boys, who had cleared out the imp brigade.  
  
The devil snarled, showing sharp fangs spaced out along the inside of a purple tinted mouth. He head lost his flat toothed grin, a perpetual snarl of hatred on his face as he commanded more imps to return, dropping burning casino chips onto the platforms to try and crush the boys, as well as spawning bombs from inside his ears when he turned his head, the objects fluttering out. None of his tricks seemed to deter the boys, even as he spawned hollow imps from his own flesh, the beings bubbling out like boils before splitting away.  
  
It was utter chaos inside of the cavern, but the three were holding their own. The frustration was slowly getting to the devil, pink tears of pain pouring from his eyes as cries of anguish escaped him, summoning more imps who dutifully began to destroy the platforms to hamper the boys. Even Glory couldn't keep up with their numbers, and before long he shot downwards so the pair could leap onto his back, no longer having to jump between platforms as they mercilessly pelted the devil with magical bullets.  
  
"No fair! No faaaaiir!" The Devil cried in anguish, grasping his head, one clawed paw going up to hold a horn that had cracked under the barrage. He stared up at it, the shadows from the flames below casting dark shadows against his flesh and fur. He was swollen, bruised, and torn up in all manner of places thanks to the boys and Glory, in particular along his sensitive ears. He clasped his head in misery, the bullets not ceasing until he finally cried out once more. "Enough! No more! Your souls are yours!"  
  
A flash of light enveloped the boys, a weight lifting from their shoulders as the partial contracts were lifted, rendering them totally free. They cheered over the devil's mournful cries. The massive being spat out part of a chipped fang, which Glory caught on the way back towards the surface. The hole was still there, but Glory wasn't going to put any faith in the Devil not to pull a foul trick in the end.  
  
Once they reached the surface, they were followed by the Devil, who returned to his furry shell. He was beaten and battered even in this form, imp servants quickly putting one arm in a sling and bandaging the wounds that carried over from their battle underground. He could barely hold an eye open, and was waving a white flag with his good hand, not eager for another round.  
  
"We'll accept you surrender, Devil!" Cuphead declared, the boys laughing at the fallen demon. "But we're not done just yet!" The pair ran to a side of the room, where fire still flickered, and pulled out the soul contracts from their pockets. As one they threw all of them into the fire, watching as the foul paper was devoured by flames. All over Inkwell Isles, nervous debtors felt a weight lift off of them as the papers were destroyed, left only to wonder at the development.  
  
The group left the casino behind then, moving quickly thanks to the excitement coursing through the boys, and Glory's own nervous pace. They didn't pick up on his concern yet, too distracted by their feat. They were herons! Honest to goodness heroes, who had defeated dozens of foes and fooled The Devil himself!  
  
"I can't wait to get everyone together to celebrate!" Cuphead cried as they began to run for the city.  
  
Neither of them noticed Glory slip away, the bird taking to the sky. They were safe now, and he had to return to Pippen. A growing sense of nervous unease was chewing through him as he realized just how long he had been gone. She wouldn't have left the egg alone, and if she couldn't get help..  
  
"Last one there's a leaky cup!" Mugman cheered, chasing his brother. Glory flew over them, low enough for one lucky camera to catch a picture of him as he flew towards the boys' home. He would drop off the bag of shards and tokens he had been holding onto, and would tell him his idea for how one of those tokens should be used.. And then he would return home and reap whatever reward his hasty actions had sewn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Giladrakes are a companion species created by Dracostryx,  
> but Lumi has one so I mentioned him L:


	18. Decisions to regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
  
"Are you sure?" Henry asked softly, trying not to draw attention to himself and Norman. Bendy was in his room last he checked, but Pippen was nowhere to be found, and had been gone before either of them had gotten home. At first, he had thought maybe she had just gone for a walk, but.. As time stretched on, it became clear that it could not be so simple. She was gone for far too long.. And in the wake of Norman telling him that he hit it big..  
  
It was late into the night now, and Norman had finally arrived. He had meticulously spliced together all of his evidence throughout the day, and had finished up in time to make his way to the Stein household. Henry didn't want to involve Bendy yet. Not until he had a chance to see the evidence himself and seen what it was.  
  
_"I am certain."_ Norman answered. He was flicking through the evidence he had found, from the marks to the prey, and finally the massive bird himself. It was a clear picture, and a tree close in the background allowed for proper size comparison. There was no mistaking this for a trick of angles. The giant bird was real, and it's massive talons were the same size as the prints that had been left behind. _"She's connected to that bird, Henry. It's been here likely the entire time she's been here, judging by the marks and bodies."_  
  
"But why hide it?" Henry muttered, staring at the image Norman projected onto one of the walls.  
  
_"Really Henry? You're smarter than that. You and I have both seen the news. Those giant birds.. They look awfully similar to this one, don't they?"_ Norman rumbled.  
  
"But they only just appeared." Henry argued.  
  
_"Maybe because it was their time to act."_ Norman suggested ominously. _"Maybe they were hidden as well. Casing out their targets, our having their friendlier looking toon counterparts case it for them."_  
  
"No. Pippen wouldn't do that." Henry countered. "It makes no sense. What about the letter that brought her here? How little she knew- No. It can't be that."  
  
_"I don't know what else to say, Henry. She_ acts _like a good toon.. but-"_  
  
"She isn't acting. She doesn't like lying to us, so much so I cant tell when she is. There has to be something more to this we aren't seeing-" Henry cut in. He refused to believe it was just an act. There was no way _any_ toon could be that skilled a manipulator. It was impossible.  
  
_"Henry- Bendy?"_ Norman began, looking up as something appeared at the edge of his vision. The devil was pale, staring at the pair, before abruptly turning and running out of the house through the back door. They had _named_ the trail the bird had come from, and he knew this area like the back of his hand. There was a cave up that path, one he hadn't been to since he was a child, but a large one-  
  
"Bendy! Bendy, wait!" Henry called, running after his son. The devil was moving quickly, with purpose, refusing to believe the claims that had been leveled against Pippen. It was all wrong, they had to be wrong! Pippen had secrets, but who didn't? She wasn't the type to plot the downfall of a city, or to attack innocent civilians! She wasn't!  
  
Henry had given up on trying to shout to his son to stop, instead powering after him through the forest, fearing he would hurt himself on the trail. It was at least fifteen minutes to the mountain, but at the pace Bendy had set they would be their in record time. The devil was running like his own life depended on it. It was only as they hit the rougher trail of the mountain that the devil slowed down, panting with exhaustion.  
  
He jerked as Henry's hand closed around his shoulder, glaring at his father's calm face. Bendy struggled weakly, but couldn't break loose, glaring at his dad and panting out a retort. "I-I'm not going back! I-I need a-answers!"  
  
"I know." Henry answered, keeping a calm tone. "I understand. But we're going together, and I need you to stay calm."  
  
"I am calm!" The devil snapped in a very uncalm tone. He took a moment to catch his breath, before they continued down the trail together in silence. For several minutes they moved together quietly, before Bendy looked up to him. "You.. You don't believe what Norman said, right? I- Pippen wouldn't do anything like that."  
  
"I don't. I think this story is a lot more complex." Henry answered, trying to keep a calm tone for the sake of his son. "I know it has to be. Pippen wouldn't have kept this quiet for so long if it wasn't. She's.. She's been trying to figure out how to tell us, I think. She's been acting oddly for a while.."  
  
"Maybe a little bit..." Bendy muttered.  
  
They continued forward quietly, Bendy leading them down the trail. He didn't bother looking for any signs of the massive bird. He knew deep down where they were going to find Pippen, though he dreaded what they would find. She couldn't be a bad person. But as he walked, he couldn't help but think of all the odd moments and indiscrepancies over the past weeks, trying to puzzle a coherent image together.  
  
  
\--------  
  
  
Pippen was half asleep when noise by the cave entrance startled her back to full consciousness. She had long given up on her journal, having dropped it off near the nest and the notes she was meant to give to Dewey. It was only now that she realized how late it was, and quickly noticed how the sound did not correlate to Glory returning, but to someone climbing up. No. Two someones. Dread twisted her stomach as she sat still, a familiar voice making her go stiff with alarm.  
  
"Pippen?" Bendy called softly. There was no mistaking her silhoute, seated several feet in front of a massive nest. She sat with her wings wrapped around her, head turning towards them slowly. Her eyes were tired, her expression thick with stress and no small degree of fear. Anxiety sparked across her face at the sight of him, something that hadn't occurred in a long time when she looked at them. "Pippen? What's going on? What is all of this?"  
  
Pippen slowly stood, her wings remaining partially unfolded behind her, twitching nervously. For several moments she was silent, before sighing. "It's a nest. It's... where Glory sleeps." She nervously tapped her fingers together, trying to figure out how to continue.  
  
"Glory?" Bendy echoed.  
  
"That giant bird..?" Henry asked. "It has a name?"  
  
"You've seen him-" Pippen sighed, not very surprised. How else would they have found this place. "Yes. The Harpia. He's with me, he's been with me since we came here. I went to the city to look for directions and then.. everything happened."  
  
"Directions to deliver the letter?" Bendy asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes." Pippen answered.  
  
"So that's what you've been hiding! I mean, a giant bird is a bit of a shock, I won't lie, but now that we know you have nothing to worry about! Is that how you knew about those other birds, the ones on the television? Are they some sort of giant bird species from out on the far edge of Tunis or somethin'?" Bendy quickly declared, relief spreading across his features. His nervous grin faded as Pippen's guilty look remained, Henry silent as well. "Pips?"  
  
"They aren't.. from Tunis." Pippen answered slowly. "And I'm not either."  
  
"Wha-?" Bendy muttered. Henry put a hand on his shoulder, waiting for Pippen to continue.  
  
"I.. We came here to deliver the letter from another country. Another.. world.. I guess you would say." Pippen wouldn't look at them, a hand gripping her tail nervously, wringing it so hard it must have been painful. "I don't know the semantics."  
  
"Where did you come from?" Henry asked simply.  
  
"Wyvera. That's where I come from, and where the Stryx come from... but I did not bring those Gryphs with us. I only brought Glory. I don't know why or how they got here. The path we took was sealed by the council the day after we met.." Pippen continued nervously.  
  
"O-Ok. So you're from.. somewhere else. Technically the underworld is a different world if you think about it." Bendy continued nervously.  
  
"That's why you were in the woods." Henry muttered. Pippen simply nodded.  
  
"Glory insisted we go home after we found out the job was impossible. He came by your house that first night after Redfall told him where I was. There was no other options.." Pippen bowed her head, shame in her eyes. "I didn't mean to just run out on you when you were helping me, but I didn't know what else to do.."  
  
"But you came back." Bendy offered. He sensed there was more to this however, one final secret she hadn't revealed that was the source of all of this stress. "And.. You proved to be a good person.."  
  
"Am I?" Pippen asked softly, looking down with uncertain eyes. "I've been lying to you and hiding things when you've been nothing but kind.. And I'm.."  
  
"What? There's nothing that could possibly be as bad as you think." Bendy quickly offered, smiling nervously at her. Surely there was nothing else she could say.  
  
".. I don't think that is correct." Pippen mumbled.  
  
"Pippen." He moved closer, trying to put his hand on her shoulder, but she stepped back. His horns dropped a bit with confusion, her own face dark with fear and uncertainty.  
  
"I'm not from Tunis because I'm.. Half human." She finally stated, shaking with fear as she stated it.  
  
"Wha-" Bendy paused, face blank for a second, before an uneasy laugh escaped him. "That's pretty funny, Pips. I mean.. Not really. There are better jokes you could throw in right now to lighten the tension, but I mean-"  
  
"I'm not joking." Pippen stated quietly, bowing her head and looking away, the shadows hiding her eyes. "I can't stand lying to you anymore. It's not right."  
  
"You can't be half human!" Bendy cut in, tone a blend of frustration and desperation. "Human's are monsters! That would make you a monster!"  
  
Pippen jerked as if he had struck her, a sense of foreboding overtaking the devil the moment he finished he sentence. He wished he could take back his words as Pippen looked up, her eyes swelling with tears, amber glowing in the moonlight.  
  
"Than that is what I am." She stated weakly, trying to blink back tears as she took another step back. She bowed her head in shame, Bendy staring at her in shock. He took a step closer, but Pippen once more backed away, shoulder's shaking. Henry opened his mouth to speak, to defuse things, the situation having escalated so quickly, but was cut off by the sound of heavy wing beats.  
  
Glory Asunder returned to a cave slightly in disarray, with three toons in the cave, only one being the one meant to be there. Tears were thick in Pippen's eyes, the fear plain to see as Bendy stared at her with an expression Glory couldn't read. Henry was near the entrance, and had turned back to stare in shock as Glory's shadow filled the cave, his pale yellow eyes glittering with confusion, and then alarm.  
  
The Harpia acted at once, screeching in fury and alarm. He slammed past Henry and knocking him into the cave wall and winding him. Next he brought his head up _under_ Bendy, throwing the devil over Pippen and into the nest. Than he grabbed Pippen, turning in one swift motion and leaving the cave, his beak clamped down on her arm, though not hard enough to hurt her.  
  
"Glo-" Pippen didn't even get his name out before he had acted and they were flying out of the cave, his actions taking mere moments. They were airborne, and Pippen was clutching his beak, trying to stem her tears, hope shattered. He had said it himself. She was a monster. Pippen Clarke was a deceptive monster. There was no turning back.  
  
"-Eeeen!" Bendy's cry was overpowered by the volume of the Harpia's cries and his wing beats. Bendy clutched his head, dizzy and slightly in pain. He had bounced off the wall and into the nest proper, and sat with a large blue speckled egg between his legs, the massive egg wobbling every which way. Suddenly, a crack sounded, far too late to be the sound of Bendy's head breaking, but possibly just in time for it to be the sound of his heart breaking in two. Pippen was gone. Pippen was gone, and he had called her a monster in their final exchange.  
  
As the dizziness finally let up, he realized the sound had come from in front of him, alarm spreading through him as he looked over the spiderweb of cracks on the shells surface. Another hard wobble, and something abruptly broke through, dropping into his lap. It was a baby bird, but a massive one, with a beak like Glory's and roughly the same head shape.  
  
Their flesh was an orange-y color, a bit lighter than the burnt orange of his beak and talons, their eyes, when they managed to open them, a brilliant shade of gold. What plumage they did have was primarily orange, but darkening to a red brown on the long neck, broken into two sections by a ring of white feathers, and a brilliant white around his face, save for two red cheek marks at the corners of it's beak. There was large dark orange-brown spots on the plumage present, and edges of white along some of it's upper neck , and the feathers on the body of the secondary tail, a long tendril like feather present on the wings where the flight feathers would be when they developed, as well as feathers all down it's legs. To finish was a scattering black flecks along it's body, save for it's neck and face, which were free of dark markings.  
  
They were slightly damp from the interior of the egg, but very much warm and alive, molten gold eyes looking up to Bendy curiously. The massive bird pressed closer to the shivering devil, before squawking demandingly, opening his mouth wide to reveal teeth deep inside his beak, currently 'folded' back in a conical shape, but able to spring forward with the right flex of a muscle.  
  
"WHOA THERE, RED!" Those were enough to get Bendy moving, the devil scrambling out of the nest in terror. The chick stared at him in confusion, cocking his slightly to large head at the odd behavior, before giving another plaintive cry. They had managed to get their legs under them, and kick away the remnants of the egg, but now they were sharply aware of their hunger, and the fact their parent, because who else would be waiting so closely for a hatching bird, was running around and shouting strange sounds.  
  
"Dad?! Dad!" Bendy shouted, noticing his father slowly picking himself up, brushing dirt from his back as he straightened it out. "Dad there's another of those birds- We have to get out of here before it eats us!"  
  
Henry looked down to the panicking devil, and the to the source of plaintive cries. The baby bird stared back at him in confusion, before opening their beak demandingly once more, giving them both an expectant look. He chuckled weakly at Bendy's over reaction, petting the devil's head. "I don't think they're a threat, Bendy. Look. They're just sitting there waiting for food."  
  
"It keeps looking at me with a weird look! I think it's got a taste for dark toons-!" Bendy nervously stated. Sure, a giant bird _in concept_ was something he could accept, but one face to face with no warning? That was a bit much, especially in the wake of everything that had just happened with Pip- "Where's Pippen?!"  
  
"Gone." Henry answered solemnly as Bendy looked around. "The bird- Glory took her. I could see it in his eyes he wasn't happy with what he came back to." Bendy looked up to him, fear and guilt mingling in his eyes. He had handled things fairly well up until the end, which was impressive, but he had completely screwed up everything once the big announcement came. The one Pippen clearly feared sharing the most, _but still choose to try_. For him. And he had indirectly called her a monster.  
  
"What do we do?" Bendy asked softly, staring out into the dark sky. He didn't have wings like Pippen, he couldn't fly after the bird, or the 'Harpia' as she had called him..  
  
"Now? We feed the bird so it stops crying." Henry answered, Bendy staring at him in befuddlement. "We can only effect what's immediately near us, Bendy. Pippen will come back. You know how much she cares about her birds. She won't just leave them here."  
  
"Y-You're right.." Bendy murmured. "Sh-She'll come back. She'll come back. And then we can talk, nice and calm like. There's got to be something the councils have been hiding if a toon willingly had a kid with a hu- A hum-" He stuttered to a nervous stop at the word, looking up to Henry. "R-Right?"  
  
"It was only a couple years ago that the Councils began to push for us to fear humans. A bit before you were born, if I remember correctly. But they started to ramp things up when you were a kid." Henry offered in agreement, walking the cave to look for clues. There was a ice cooler to one side of the cave and a quick look revealed a blend of fish and meat, still sitting in a blend of chilled water and ice. He pulled several pieces out to let them warm up in the night air, knowing that feeding them to the bird cold probably wasn't a good idea. There was also a journal, but as he flipped through it he realized it was written in an unfamiliar language.  
  
"What's that?" Bendy asked as a page fell from the journal. It was a key, the symbols, Wyverian the top illustrated, and the same Tunis script Henry had taught her. There were notes all over the page, and scribbles but in the center there was the key, and a note to write down the key on a nice piece of paper to give to Dewey. How was the ink pot involved in this? They would have to work it out later.  
  
"There's a note here for Dewey.." Bendy called to him, finding the note near a beaten up backpack. It was a make unlike anything he had seen, a make of of leather and thick thread. The thing was extremely worn out, and held unfamiliar tools, a thick book in the same strange script Pippen wrote in with images of a bird like the Harpia, and far more than just the large bird they had seen. He scanned through the pages silently, and then back to the note, opening it without a second thought. It was just for Dewey.  
  
Inside was notes on 'how to feed a baby Stryx, with advice and the like from a rancher's perspective inside. It very clearly illustrated how to feed one without getting harmed, as well as some other notes to answer questions Dewey had apparently raised in the past.  
  
Bendy frowned, a stab of jealousy darting through him unbidden. "How come Dewey was already in on this.."  
  
"Because he tricked her.. I think.." Henry was looking between the key and a page in the journal, squinting a bit. "If I'm translating this right, he suspected something was up and used a spell to test her.. and found out her parentage through that.."  
  
"Wait- Is that Pippen's diary?!" Bendy questioned, a mix of shock and curiosity on his face. His mischievous side called for him to look through it, and to learn more of the mystery imp, but the side of him that was her boyfriend wanted to respect her personal space. After a bit of back and forth, he finally decided to nose through the book as well, though it was hampered by the language difference. He was scanning the journal the best he could in the dark and trying to piece things together, but it was a bit tricky. Bendy did notice the notes Pippen had written on the side of the key, her notes mentioning how strange it was each letter correlated so cleanly to a Wyverian symbol.  
  
"It's a journal." Henry countered. It just sounded less bad to him to be reading a _journal_ instead of a _diary_. "And it looks like she's been keeping it for far longer than her time here. Listen, I'm just looking through this for possible advice on how to take care of the chick-"  
  
"But she's going to be coming back, so we don't need to!" Bendy countered, snatching the book and closing it. It was hand bound, different from the books he was used to seeing, and he dealt with it with care. Henry sighed, but offered him a small smile. He would be lying if part of the reason he had been reading was out of curiosity.  
  
"Alright." Henry held his hands up, discouraging further outcry. "We'll leave it be. But we should try feeding the bird." As if the punctuate this, another round of plaintive cries escaped the bird, who was staring at Bendy in particular with hopeful eyes. "The meat should be warm enough, and they're pre-cut from the looks of it. We just have to hand it off the way it's mentioned in Pippen's letter and everything will be fine."  
  
"Right. Feed the bird." Bendy gave the bird a nervous look, not quite liking the way they watched him. He nervously crept closer, holding out a slice of meat, grimacing at the watery blood that dripped off the raw meat.  
  
"You have to get closer." Henry pointed out, the bird leaning as close to them as could manage. He was still well out of reach however, tongue waggling pleadingly. Bendy crept closer, getting the meat into the tip of the bird's beak, the chick snatching it up and swallowing it whole. He gave a pleased sound, before switching to another plaintive cry, pleading for more. Henry grinned a bit, pride on his face as he regarded Bendy, approaching to help feed the bird. "Well done. But it's going to take more than that."  
  
"It's gross." Bendy muttered, but he kept feeding the bird, obeying the pleading cries.  
  
He was slowly getting nearer to the bird, a bit more confident with each successful feeding, until he was quite close to the bird. They abruptly stopped accepting the food, instead laying their head on Bendy, chirping softly as they started to fall asleep. Bendy shuffled with uncertainty, but didn't move away, the soft chick pressing into him. They were heavy but soft, the bird soon fast asleep. Bendy slowly slid away, setting the bird down on the nest, the pair carefully moving away.  
  
"They.. Aren't so bad. I guess." Bendy offered after a moment as they looked at the chick.  
  
"They aren't... But I don't think we can leave them alone.." He glanced back out to the deep night.  
  
"We shouldn't! And we can just wait here! There are some blankets in Pippen's bag we can borrow. When she comes back, we'll be here!" Bendy declared, hope bright in his eyes.  
  
"Good point. But it's going to be uncomfortable.." Henry warned, sitting down with his back against the pack, Bendy sitting down next to him, clinging to the hope Henry had given him.  
  
"We won't be long.. I'm sure Pippen will be back soon.." Bendy murmured, leaning into his father, though the nervousness in his expression spoke otherwise. Henry wrapped his arm around the devil comfortingly, looking down to him with a small sad smile. Surely Pippen would return. He hoped she would return, and give them another chance to talk this out..  
  
  
=========  
  
  
"Glory! Glory stop!" Pippen commanded, her voice still strained with tears as she clutched his beak. He was angling to land in a field to the east of the city, and finally did, though he stood with his back to the city. They were a ways away from the city, near the woods but not quite in it. He put her down slowly, glaring at her.  
  
_"Why?"_ He demanded. He noticed he had defaulted to beast tongue once more, and that the charm the elder had given him was gone. It must have been damaged in the melee and finally come off. _"We need to leave."_  
  
"No- I- We were talking, Glory, I swear. We were just talking." Pippen tried to claim, though her voice was still thick with tears.  
  
_"A talk that wasn't going well._ " He muttered darkly. _"A talk where you were cornered."_ And crying. Crying very hard, and clearly extremely distraught. Distraught to a degree that spoke of rejection.  
  
"I- It-" Pippen fell silent silent, trying to speak. It had been going terribly, Bendy had seemed to be fine with Glory, and with Wyvera but.. Nor her. Not what she was. The moment they had found out what she was, Bendy rejected it completely, trying to deny it's reality. He had called her a-  
  
It had never really bothered her before. Or rather, she had always lied to herself and said it didn't bother her, when people called her a monster. There was always someone who did, when they found out what she was. There was some who called her a monster even before they found out, because of her physical attributes. But some could accept that, until they found out she was half toon, or that she wasn't a full demon masquerading as part human.  
  
"We-" Pippen tried to speak, but couldn't find the words, at an utter lose. It had never hurt this much. Those simple words had never made her heart feel like it had been torn from her chest, before being haphazardly thrown back in to do it's job. She bowed her head, at a loss for what to say or do. She dug around in her pockets, pulling out two of the magical coins Agatha had given her. Maybe.. No.. She didn't know what to do. She had been flying blind for most of the time they were there, but she had been able to come up with a plan. But now she was at a loss. "We need to go back. I need to talk to them.."  
  
_"Go back?"_ Glory balked. _"Pippen I saw-"_  
  
"You only saw part of it!" Pippen snapped. "But you're more than happy to see them gone because you never stopped being jealous of them!"  
  
_"Pippen-"_ Glory started, bristling as well. He was trying to keep his temper however, knowing that lashing out at her wasn't what should be done here. She was hurting, she was scared, and like him when he was hurting and scared she was lashing out. _"I may have been jealous, but I do not want this. I do not want to see the end to your happiness.."_  
  
"Oh Glory.." Pippen murmured, bowing her head in guilt. "I'm... I'm so-  
  
**_BANG! BANG BANG!_**  
  
Blood spurted from Glory's chest, missing his heart by a foot. The other bullets clipped his wing and the side of his head, missing his eye as he jerked his head out of the way in response to the first blow. Pippen whipped around towards the sound, eyes widening with alarm as she was greeted by Charley's silhouette, a vindictive Finnbar standing net to him, a massive grin on the crows face.  
  
"Charley-!" Pippen screeched, her eyes going from alarm to rage as Glory collapsed behind her in pain and exhaustion. He had been fighting all day, and had been taking damage throughout it all, and the bullet only helped to sharpen the pain he had been ignoring. Fire sprang around Pippen's free hand, the coins clasped in her other still, though she noticed shadows rapidly approaching. She threw her fireball at the shadows, dodging to the side as Charley tried to put a bullet into her.  
  
Her mind was running fast, remembering what Agatha had said the coins could do. They needed backup, and experienced back up fast! She pitched the coins towards Glory, feeling the magic activate as her mind locked on two Stryx in specific, before turning to face her attackers again. They were closer now, and see could see it was Barely and Edgar, the spider in particular wearing a dark look. Nobody messed with the butcher gang and got away with it, not even the newest member!  
  
"You should have just stayed in your lane, toots." Charley called, distracting Pippen long enough for the boys to get a sack over her head, several fist going into her stomach and chest. Once the beating was done, her limbs were tied up. The coins were glowing bright, but the spell was taking it's time to draw the summoned pair through. Glory tried to stand, glaring defiantly at them, before collapsing again, his claws digging into the earth in pain. "You don't mess with the Butcher Gang and get away with it. You should have just left us alone after we all got released. Now we gotta teach you a lesson."  
  
Pippen squirmed, shouting around her sack, only for another punch to silence her, the pair of males picking her up and running towards the woods, leaving the bird to bleed out. The lights only grew brighter behind them, before abruptly fading out, leaving two new Stryx in the world, confused and concerned by the sound of a struggle fading into the forest.  
  
The first was a Corva, a bit larger than Finnbar, not sporting a crest like Finnbar. Instead he had a long trail of feathers in place of his primary tail feathers, much like Glory, his feathers a deep red-brown. On his face was a black mask with three white dots beneath the eyes, and a white diamond on his forehead, his beak and talons black. Intelligent brown eyes scanned the immediate vicinity, landing on Glory and quickly approaching him.  
  
_"Glory, what's going on? Where is Pippen? I heard her calling-_ " He quickly stated, though his eyes went over the larger bird's wounds. _"Who did this?"_  
  
" _What is going on? I see blood!"_ The second bird, a hawk Stryx with long trailing tail feathers as well, stated. His green eyes were fixed on the direction the noise had gone in, his body primarily light brown and silver. The silver took over on his upper wings on both sides, his back and upper chest, flanks, and portions of his secondary and primary tail. A brown hood speckled with white flecks marked his head and neck, not extending to his throat, several brown splotches trailing after the hood, and along his flanks. His face was a deep brown-black, matching his beak and the underside of his legs. The edges of his beak and upper talons were a light tan, glinting in the moonlight as he snapped his head around.  
  
_"Attacked. Gun. Metal hand device like a crossbow, but shoots far faster and has no wood. Avoid it."_ Glory gasped, wincing in pain. _"Took Pippen. Full imp. Looks like a toon. Complicated. Explain later. Get the bullet out of me, Beowulf. Sigurd, pursue them. We'll catch up. Do not let them get away!"_  
  
The pair glanced to each other, before acting, the Hawk taking to the skies and scanning the trees below, while the Corva approached to treat Glory's wounds the best he could. The three were three quarters of Pippen's usual travel crew, and trusted one another implicitly, especially when it came to Pippen's safety. There were many more questions, like why they had been gone so long, and why Pippen looked like a full toon now, but they could wait. Glory was wounded, and Pippen was in danger.  
  
As the pair remained behind to deal with the wound, Sigurd pursued the sounds, staying out of sight. Even with how late it was, he could see quiet well, his species and natural nocturnal leanings working in his favor. He flew silently, following the noise until they reached a dark shack. For the moment, they seemed inactive, the shadows standing around some sort of cauldron and drawing on the ground.  
  
The hawk turned, returning to the field, where Sigrid had managed to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding with some cloth he kept in a pouch beneath his thick neck feathers. Glory was standing, pained but determined, eyes snapping up to Sigrid.  
  
_"There's some sort of shack about a mile southwest. They aren't hurting her, yet, but they're fiddling with a cauldron and drawing something on the ground. I don't like the looks of it."_ Sigurd reported. _"We need to get over there double quick. I've got a bad feeling in my gut about this-"_  
  
  
\-------  
  
  
Pippen helplessly struggled against her bindings, the sound of something bubbling near her. Barley was on top of her, keeping her pinned to the ground while the _scritch scratch_ of chalk on wood sounded near her. Barley punched her in the head as she struggled to hard for his taste, making her stop for a moment as pain lanced through her skull.  
  
Edgar busily drew two circles, one around Pippen with several magical sigils within, an ' _X_ ' mark being drawn under her, Barley picking her up long enough for it to be done. Than she was promptly slammed back into the ground. From there the spider went to work drawing a line and then another, smaller circle, in which a tonic bottle was sat in the middle of.  
  
While the spider worked, Charley stirred a pot of something dark and bubbling, tossing in magical ingredients every couple of minutes. He dutifully stirred the substance to prevent it from boiling over, before signalling for the boys to move out of the way. While the moved, he spooned several laddels worth of the magical substance into the tonic, doing so perfectly without spilling a drop. He had done this before, and he would likely do this again sometime in the future..  
  
The magical circles began to glow as the substance was added, Pippen squirming in alarm as a strange sensation twisted through her. She was so beaten and battered that she couldn't even think about squirming free of her bindings, Charley walking over to the large circle and beginning to mutter something. He was looking down at a book, reading the spell out with the book to act as an aid. It was a spell, a spell of binding, a very specific type of spell that all demon type tones dreaded.  
  
"Stop-" Pippen coughed, her body wobbling. It felt wrong, more fluid, like she was being twisted and changed against her will. Smoke was bubbling from the tonic bottle as the substance bubbled, the better portion of the magically charged liquid used to activate the spell. The smoke wrapped around her, covering her form, before rapidly retreating towards the tonic, leaving Pippen's bindings and the sack that had been over her head behind.  
  
"Shoulda kept your nose out of other people's business, Imp-" Charley declared as he snapped his book shut. He walked over to the second circle, picking up the tonic bottle, which was a roughly a third of the way full. Something was present in the bottle, a small being that was desperately pressing their hands against the glass.  
  
  
  
  
  
Seconds later the cabin wall exploded as three Stryx forced their way through the old wood. In moments the room was thrown into utter chaos. Glory gunned it for Charley, tearing at his arms to prevent him from using his gun. Sigurd went for Barley, taking a punch to the throat, but kept going, sharp beak and talons tearing at the burly pirate. Meanwhile Beowulf went for his fellow Corva, sharp beak biting into Finnbar's neck, the Corva still to startled to understand what was going on at first.  
  
The Corvas screeched in fury as they began to brawl. Edgar tried to get in the middle to help his friend, only to be knocked into a wall as Beowulf slammed his tail into the approaching spider. Finnbar screeched in alarm, only to receive a sharp bite to his throat, and then his chest. The younger, untrained Corva was no match for the more experienced silken Corva, Beowulf beating them both mercilessly.  
  
Meanwhile Sigurd was darting around Barley, chipping away at his strength, his sharp beak tearing through clothing and flesh with each move. Barley was a powerful hitter, but slow, and the fast hawk was merciless. He bit at the pirates legs in particular, trying to disable him. Barley was trying to bash the hawk's head in, and managed to land several blows, though not enough to take him down. In moments Barley found himself on his knees, clutching several severe wounds and glaring harshly at the invaders.  
  
"You should have learned your lesson the first time, bird-!" Charley shouted, trying to pull his gun. He could see the wound he had left already, blood staining the fabric over the gunshot. Glory wasn't going to let him pull the weapon however, pulling the gun out of his pocket and throwing it out to the side where Charley couldn't reach it. He pinned the leprechaun down, screeching in fury, but not killing him. No, not yet, no matter how much he wanted too. He needed to know where Pippen is.  
  
"Too late, bird." Charley grunted, groaning as the talons pushed harder onto his chest. Another screech escaped the bird, who bent over to put his sharp beak in the gang leaders face. When all he got was a grunt, he clamped the razor edged beak over his neck, threatening to tear it out then and there-  
  
"All right! All right! In the tonic bottle-" Charley yelled, seeing how easily the bird would take his life. "It's over there dammit!"  
  
Glory looked up to the side of the room, where the bottle had slid to when he had tackled the leprechaun. The bottle was laying on it's side, the black liquid sloshing around, something small and alive struggling against the choppy liquid, tears slicking her face. Glory grunted as he felt the figure beneath him move, dodging in time to avoid the knife Charley had slid out of his sleeve. The bird screeched, slamming his talons onto his chest, cracking the bones. He lurched downwards and tried to grab the knife, only to feel it slide along his beak and nick his face.  
  
The Harpia stumbled back in pain, shrieking in fury as the leprechaun managed to drag himself up and ran out of the building, shouting for his boys to follow him. Finnbar managed to buck Beowulf off, who bit his tail as a final goodbye. The crested Corva hissed, but kept running, Edgar jumping onto his back before Finnbar took off, grabbing Barley and flying for it.  
  
_"Come back, Cowards!"_ Glory shrieked after them, though he was too wounded and tired to pursue them. He crouched as he tried to catch his breath, looking back down to the bottle, where a tiny Pippen looked back up at him, tear stained face dark with fear. He slowly bent over, panting softly. _"Pippen. Pippen.. I'm so sorry."_  
  
Pippen put her hand to the glass, wobbling eyes guilty and frightened.  
  
_"What do we do now?"_ Sigurd asked.  
  
_"We can't stay here. Glory, we have to move. I know you're injured, but we need to find a better location to recover and exchange information. We need you to tell us everything once we're safe."_ Beowulf quickly instructed, seeing the distress on the larger birds face. He quickly picked up the tonic bottle, shifting it to a position that would be mostly stable while walking or flying.  
  
_"I understand. Follow me. I know another location we can take shelter in some distance from here."_ Glory grunted in pain, turning to walk out of the hut. With that he began to walk to the east, towards a secondary cave he knew of.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/4ths of the silky squad have rolled up to a gang house, but they're a bit late to save the day


	19. Angelic Intentions of the unfriendly variety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> So I accidentally deleted this chapter by clicking a button when rubbing my screen, please forgive me-  
> Im not touching my screen when editing things ever again

  
  
The cave Glory lead them to was hidden behind a waterfall, a thin path to the left leading behind it. They ended up getting a bit wet, but it was a small price to pay for the small sizeable cave behind it. It was well sheltered, warm, and the sound of the waterfall was soothing, though it raised concerns about a possibly ambush. They would need to be careful if they intended to stay there for long.   
  
Glory crept into the back, slowly climbing atop a curved rock and resting against the cool surface. Beowulf and Sigurd approached, slowly prying questions from him, bringing soaked moss to him to drink from. Once he had regained some of his strength, he began to explain everything, from their arrival, to the sealing, and everything in between. He spoke of the battles he had joined in for the sake of two young toons he had befriended, and how it had forced Pippen's hand before she was ready, guilt lacing his tone. The Harpia had between a rock and a hard place, bound by loyalty to the boys he had befriended, and his innate loyalty to Pippen.  
  
Pippen, from what they could see, gave him an understanding look, a hand pressing to the side of the bottle. She knew how close he had grown to the boys, an unlikely friendship but one that had somehow sprung up. It did not surprise her that he had acted when he sensed something was wrong. She just wished he had told her.. Had given her an idea of how long he would be gone. She wouldn't have been tempted to doubt him, to doubt he would return..  
  
_"This is a.. complex situation."_ Beowulf muttered as the Harpia finished the report. They may be trapped in Tunis, but they were trapped together, three of four long time team mates to the Silky tail squad. When Pippen was gotten out, they could likely be joined by their fourth, and have the full crew to tackle the matter. Beowulf would prefer that. The four of them balanced one each other out, and they made for a solid, if imperfect, team.   
  
_"Tell me about it."_ Glory huffed. His gunshot wound had cost him more blood than most of the battles on Inkwell Isle, and all he wanted was a good meal and a long rest curled around the bottle that was his master's prison. He had already failed her once. He would not let her be taken again.   
  
_"I'll find us something to eat."_ Sigurd offered. _"I'm the fastest of us, and naturally nocturnal. My night sight is a bit better than both of yours. I'll rustle up something right quick."_  
  
_"That sounds good.."_ Glory rumbled, leaning into the stone, resting his neck against Pippen's bottle, the imp sliding to press into the glass wall closest to him, guilt and fear in her eyes. _"Just remember the new motto."_  
  
_"Motto?"_  
  
_"If it speaks, we don't eat."_ Glory managed a rough laugh. The wound would likely not end him, but it would hamper him for quite a while. Assuming it didn't become infected. But Beowulf was here, and the Corva knew how to treat wounds.   
  
_"Sounds like something Pippen made."_ Beowulf chuckled, the Harpia grinning around the pain.   
  
_"Aye. It is."_ Glory hummed. _"If it can speak, avoid killing it. Unless it's in self defense. You can hunt the ones that look like the prey back home. The higher sapience toon animals you shouldn't hunt have large eyes, and tend to speak."_  
  
 _"Understood. If it speaks, we don't eat."_ Sigurd repeated, grinning a bit. _"I'll be back before you know it."_ With that he turned and walked out of the cave, easily avoiding the rocks and stones the other two had stubbed their toes on. It could be a good nesting cave, if it were cleaned up a bit. They'd worry about it later, if Beowulf didn't busy himself with the matter while Sigurd was gone.   
  
Beowulf glanced to the bottle, seeing Pippen had passed out at some point. He had guessed that would occur. The spell had likely used a portion of her own internal magic to entrap her. That and they had been in a very stressful situation moments before they were summoned, though Glory had avoided the details. Something had happened between them, that he could tell.  
  
_"Glory?"_ Beowulf called softly. The Harpai had his eyes closed, but he could tell from his body language that he was resting, but not asleep. Slowly, a pale yellow eye met concerned red-brown eyes.   
  
_"Yes, Beo?"_ Glory rumbled. He knew what the Corva wanted, and while he did not want to speak on it, he knew it would bother the crow dragon until he knew. He was always the one acting as the mediator between the group, trying to keep the peace.   
  
_"What exactly happened in your former cave? When you made your report, Pippen made a face, but she didn't try to contend your statement.. Not that I think she could in her current state."_ Beowulf began slowly. _"I can tell you two had a fight, recently.."  
_  
_"I've already told you. I left unexpectedly.. and I cost Pippen everything she had here."_ Glory rumbled slowly.  
_  
"What did she have?"  
  
"...Happiness." _Glory answered. _"She was happy. Do not get me wrong. She missed home as much as I do, she missed all of you with a longing that did not stop. But she managed to find peace with the toons here. She.. She even found a perspective mate, one that she meshed well with.. She did not seek him out, but he sought her out. And now.."_ He fell silent. _"Now, I believe I have cost her what may have been her only chance at happiness.. to have a mate and family."_  
  
Beowulf processed the words silently, glancing to Pippen, who was floating atop the liquid. It seemed, so long as she was in that bottle, she was incapable of drowning. At least, not in the murky substance she bobbed in. He never would have thought Pippen would have found a mate here of all places. But fate was strange. If what Pippen had told him was correct.. This would have been the first time she agreed to a relationship with a prospective mate.   
  
He bowed his head a bit. He was familiar with the heart break of rejection. His silky coat may catch eyes, but there were a number of dams who had passed him up for Stryx with far more impressive plumage. To a degree, he could identify with her situation, though he knew the true reason she was rejected was because of what she was, and not her appearance.   
  
_".. How much of the scene in the cave did you see, Glory?"_ Beowulf asked after several moments. _"And.. Did Pippen want to go back and speak to them again?"_  
  
_"I.. I only saw the end of it. Or what I made into the end. She was cornered and crying, Beowulf. What else was I supposed to do?"_ Glory looked up to him with hard eyes, partially questioning his actions, but also, to a degree, standing behind them.   
  
_"You protected your rider, as any Stryx would do."_ Beowulf offered amicably. Of course, the method by which a Stryx would defend their rider varied from Stryx to Stryx, but that was the unspoken part they both knew. It was his nature to act, and act quickly. Glory was a fighter. Beowulf was the type to wait and listen, unless he saw immediate danger. Neither of them could change that innate nature, not in such a tense situation as being trapped in a foreign land.   
  
_"... She wanted to speak to them again. But.. Then we were attacked. That's where you two come in."_ Glory answered slowly. _"But.. I have likely destroyed any chance of that. I attacked to retrieve her-"  
  
"Attacked how?"  
  
"Tackled. No claws, no beak. I.. It felt like she was in danger, but at the same time I know what they mean to her."_ He paused, shaking his head at his indecisive action. He looked up to Beowulf once more, confused by the proud look on the Corva's face, cocking his head in question.  
  
_"You have grown since we last spoke. The Glory I remember last traveling with would have injured them for their transgressions._ " Beowulf hummed. Glory muttered and looked away, uncertain how to feel about the matter still, even in the light of the intelligent Corva's approval. _"And the egg you spoke of?"_  
  
_"Left behind. Likely destroyed. The sightings of Malice and his companion would have sealed their fate."_ Glory rumbled.  
  
_"I will be the one to find if that is the case."_ Beowulf stated.   
  
_"No-"_ Glory growled, not wanting the Corva to leave. _"Do not leave us. Pippen is still in danger, and you and Sigurd are unfamiliar with the area and it's weaponry-"_  
  
_"Than make me familiar, Glory."_ Beowulf stated, tugging a bag out from under his thick neck feathers, pulling out a sack of colorful flat stones. He started to make several stacks, indicating locations he knew of, and a rough idea of their elevation compared to their current position, before looking up to Glory expectantly.  
  
_"I hate these stones."_ Glory muttered. They were just a bit too complicated for him, and the Corva always questioned every stone he put down to ensure it was correct.   
  
_"But it is the fastest way to get an idea of the landmarks around us."_ Beowulf chuckled. _"Humor your odd friend. You and I both know Sigurd will not put you through this when he returns."_  
  
_"You're still not leaving.."_ Glory muttered.  
  
" _Not until you've healed up some. But once you are in better condition, I am investigating matters in regards to the egg and those who confronted Pippen. Galyx forgive me if the chick dies in that time span, but I am only one Stryx.._ " Beowulf asserted, sitting down next to Glory as they 'played' his game of mapping the world in a way the Corva could rapidly process.   
  
  
========  
  
  
Alice was quickly learning the vast differences between Wyvera and Tunis, and was beginning to understand why Pippen had been so out of her depth. Tunis was more advance technologically to some degrees, with factories and cars and telephones, but at the same time Wyvera had magical feats that were not common to Tunis. Methods of capturing images with out a camera, instead using a crystal. The crystal was harder to store, technically, but the image it projected was 3-d. There was also a great deal of magical spells commonly used everyday and for things such as story shows or work.  
  
It was a fascinating change, and she couldn't say if one was more advance than the other. Each side had the other beaten out in some aspect or another, but did not quite overwhelm the other in a certain victory. There were also a wide variety of beings present, just like in Tunis, but varieties unique to Wyvera, or rather the world Wyvera was part of.   
  
There was also another large change, and that was the sheer amount of Dracostryx. Flying ones, running ones, and even bat types, there were Dracostryx almost everywhere she looked. Harpias like Lumi, Gryphs like she had seen on the television in Tunis, only far less vicious.. Tytos, the owl like division of the Stryx family, Hawks, who matched their namesake, and Corvas, the Crow dragons. And those were only the flying types.  
  
The two non flying types met were known as a 'Cara' and a 'Raptor'. The Raptor looked as one would expect, a raptor like body but coated in feathers, with a thick beak in place of jaws, and a wing arms with which they could glide. Caras were smaller, with shorter beaks than the raptors, shorter, thicker necks and thicker chests. Their wings were more developed, and didn't naturally point forward like their raptor counterpart. They were still grounded however, and there was fierce debate over which of the two types were faster.   
  
Traveling Wyvera with Perci was something of an enjoyable experience, despite all the unknowns she was faced with. Once he realized she didn't recognize or understand something, he would explain it, and quite thoroughly. He was great help, and Alice could only wonder if Pippen would have been more at ease if she had such help with her. She could only wonder what things were like in Tunis at the moment. She knew her friends would be concerned but..Was the council?  
  
Not likely. She was small fry, and a difficult one at that. She had always toed the line of what was acceptable, but bit by bit she had strayed from their lessons.. And with the more time she spent away from the Council's ever present eyes, she began to question more. Why did they have to make other toons conform exactly to their ways, if they could find a path where both sides could interact peacefully, like in Wyvera? Sure, there was some give and take. That was inevitable. You could never mesh everything perfectly, but it was the fact they were willing to try that counted the most. And, despite the bumps in the process, they managed to find peace.   
  
There was no push for perfection here, or at least it was only found in very little offshoots and looked down upon by other people. They accepted that imperfections was the way of life, and that we all can only strive to do our best. It was nothing like what the council pushed. Here, good acts were done because it was the right thing to do, because of the empathy and kindness, and not as an empty duty. Their conduct defined who they were, and empty kindness, like among some of the higher up angels, would not be blindly accepted.   
  
"The shop keep didn't give you any trouble, right?" Perci asked as she walked back up to him. They had gotten a leather vest to cover the angel's midsection, as well as some better fitting clothing and boots, to ensure her safety while they traveled. As Perci had warned, Bandits didn't care what you were, so long as they though there was something to be had. That and Perci claimed to have a good deal of money stashed away, so it was no issue to him.  
  
"Nope. They were actually quite nice." Alice offered honestly. She had ventured into town to collect some more supplies for their journey, while Perci argued with a traveling salesman over a rare alchemy 'regent' they had that he was interested in. Something that was good at negating poisons from what she had overheard. He had been nervous to let her go by herself, but she had learned how to navigate conversations with Wyverians and put them at ease. Even though she was clearly a toon, her gentle manners put most at ease.   
  
Those who weren't put at ease she either swiftly ended the conversation, or disengaged. She had learned how to exchange a quick barb or two during those exchanges, something that showed she was not an easy target and helped to vent the negative emotions that rose during those encounters. In some cases, it actually garnered her some respect from those she was speaking with, who started to see her as less of a 2-d image and more as a fleshed out being. For others, it simply ended there, and they parted ways.  
  
Lumi squawked in agreement, having trailed Alice. It helped to have the Harpia with her, and she was sure it was partially why things had never gotten violent. Not that it was likely to do so in the towns Perci choose to stop in. He didn't like stopping in towns of ill repute, having too many negative experiences with such towns to try them. But having a Stryx put her on even standing. it made it look like she had assimilate to Wyvera, and it put some of the people at ease, especially with how well behaved and friendly Lumi was.   
  
"That's good." Perci sighed, holding a wrapped bundle. "I'm going to have to rearrange Lumi's bags for the new supplies and for a safe spot for this." Lumi approached obediently, crouching and bowing over next to him so he could set to work.  
  
"So, what is this?" Alice asked politely. "You were quite interested in getting ahold of it."  
  
"Moon Tears." He answered slowly unwrapping the cloth to reveal a bundle of white flowers with grey markings. The petals that were unfolded were tear shaped, glittering lightly in the sun. "They're very rare. I'm hoping an acquaintance of mine at the base of Sunna may be able to extract the seeds and start farming them. There's a perfect location on the mountain, if I remember right, and if not on Sunna, then it will be on Moonli. They won't pass up a chance to nurture some of these near home."  
  
"What are they used for?" Alice asked politely, marveling at the pretty flowers. She had been learning a bit of alchemy from Perci as they traveled, on top of everything else he was kindly teaching her, and she had learned there was more to most flowers than just pretty looks. Some were actually amazingly useful, when put through the right processes.  
  
"They negate poison. It's said not even the strongest poison can resist an anti venom or poison antidote made with Moon Tears. But they're extraordinarily rare to find. Legend has it that they only bloom in places Nokt has touched down on earth and mourned the loss of one of her stars, or of a rider or Stryx that she particularly favored." He explained.  
  
"The moon goddess mourns those lost?" Alice questioned, wanting to confirm what he said. She had been slowly learning about the trio of gods Wyverian's believed in, and had heard how Nokt was the 'Shepard of the stars', despite Galyx technically having dominion over all of them. The stars reported all they saw to the great space moth, who acted where they felt fit, or when it was necessary for them to interfere with the mortal realm. But Nokt would tend to the stars like her own children, loving them as much as she loved the earth, which was the child of her and her husband, the sun god Daius.  
  
It was a lot to learn, but there was something about what she was told that felt real. More real than what she had been told of Angelis. They were complex, but also more merciful than Angelis, accepting imperfections as a fact of life, as did Wyverians. With what she had been taught of Angelis, imperfections were not to be accepted, and something to be overcome. Something to erase, to be ashamed of. In Wyvera, it was expected that you should try to improve yourself in some ways, if you feel you are lacking, but it was not the overwhelming, all consuming command that the way of Angelis demanded. Wyvera was not an endless monotony of self admonishment and homogeneity the council demanded ever more of.   
  
"I'm going to look up the hill and take a look around for any bad weather that may be blowing our way." Alice stated, Perci nodding his assent. He worried about her, but at the same time he didn't want to smother her. He had started to teach her how to defend herself, mostly with a staff since she disliked the idea of possibly mortally wounding someone. He was skilled enough with a staff himself that he could teach her. Currently, on a one on one situation she may be able to hold her own, or at least stall the situation for back up to arrive.   
  
The angel had been slowly embracing her more adventurous side during the trip, trying to enjoy the trip and what she was seeing. She would be home soon enough, and there was no point in mourning or staying glum over what had happened. It had happened, she would learn from it, and she would move forward.. And hopefully she would not encounter Ozi again. She wasn't sure what she would do if she did. Deep down, she was furious with his betrayal and how he had treated her, while a small part of her pitied him for being so blindly devoured by hatred.   
  
At the top of the hill, the air gently whisked her hair about, the wide open fields of mid-Wyvera rolling before her. In the distance, she could see the beginning of a mountain range, but she had no idea if it was _the_ mountains they were heading for, or a set that was between them and their goal. There was one thing for certain though. Wyvera was beautiful in it's own right, despite it's distinct differences from Tunis.   
  
Slowly, she turned, walking back down the hill, making her way back to Perci's side. The human had been slowly opening up to her, though she could tell he was still holding back a bit, still hesitant. He had spoken of bad experiences in certain towns before, the reason he would only stop in large cities or very large, reputable towns, and avoid small villages, but she hadn't gotten details from him. She had the feeling that whatever had happened was not good, and had likely lead to his reclusive lifestyle, despite his kinder nature.   
  
"I think it will be only a couple days more before we reach Sunna." He announced as she returned. "The weather looks good, and I haven't heard any tell of trouble on our path. There's one more city between there and Sunna I want to stop at to check around and make sure nothing unusual is happening that we may fly in the middle of. You'd be surprised how often things go odd on the edges of Wyvera."  
  
"Because of the wild magic, right?" Alice asked as she mounted up, her seat in front of Perci since she was shorter and smaller.   
  
"Aye. Weird things come through the wormholes near Sunna occasionally. It's why Sunna ranch and Moonli ranch are contacted by the crown to protect the area from any dangerous beasts that come through. Sometimes it isn't to bad but.. sometimes it is." Perci explained, mounting up behind her.   
  
"Have toons every come through?" Alice asked after a moment.  
  
"Not that I know of. And not through the random wormholes. Those are always some strange things that come through there.." Perci shook his head, both of them bracing as Lumi took off. They're journey picked up once more, the air cool and clear around Alice, the sensation exhilarating. Surely, this was what it must have felt like to have wings..  
  
  
========  
  
  
Luke and his group had seen much of Allison since their first meeting, and even her husband Tom a couple times. The male toon had seemingly been brought over by his polite demeanor and the lack of harm that had befallen Allison. For the most part, they had only been exchanging information, learning about Tunis and in turn teaching Allison of the land her father had likely come from. The land they had come from.   
  
They trusted her not to speak on the matter idly, since the existence of Wyvera was still such a sensitive topic. Allison was a sensible person, and seemed only interested in learning more of her human roots. She had started to trust the Stryx more, especially Icarus, though she was wisely still wary of the Impim, who was a bit of an unpredictable wild card. It was hard for her to tell what was going in on Heart's head, and honestly it was hard for Luke to tell as well sometimes.   
  
It had reached a point where the Stryx had felt confident enough to start exploring the surrounding woods and forage for supplies. Icarus had even started hanging around the farm at times he knew he was unlikely to be seen. He was most interested in watching Tom work with his tools and the strange machines he kept on the farm. At first, Tom hadn't been too pleased, but when Icarus had started bringing spare gears, springs, and even raw metal ore he had found in the woods to sweeten him up, Tom had accepted his presence. The bird didn't put his beak into things without permission, despite how eagerly he wanted to see everything, so that was a bonus as well.   
  
He was also intelligent enough to hide from anyone that showed up as a surprise, and had the senses sharp enough to warn him ahead of time. Tom had a sharp poker face on top of that, so he never let on that a giant dragon bird was lurking on his premises, even when the bird was hiding in the rafters just above his head.  
  
It was a good thing too, as with the passing of time, unexpected guests became more and more frequent. And not the friendly sort either. Members from the Angelic Council, mostly the small fry who weren't actually angels, trying to score points within the Council by milking more out of the farm. One in particular was very stubborn, appearing so frequently that even Icarus was starting to develop a distaste for him.  
  
Icarus gave a soft, warning croak, before clambering into the attic of the barn, leaving Tom to face the approaching nuisance. It was one Icarus recognized by the sound of his fancy shoes against the warn dirt of the farm path, and from the annoyed look on the Stryx's face, Tom had a good guess of who it was. He played dumb however, pretending like he wasn't already aware of their approach and mentally preparing for their arrival.   
  
"Mr. Connor, it's simply been too long!" The painfully familiar voice of Joey Drew greeted Tom's ears, the wolf biting back a snarl.   
  
"Not long enough, Mr. Drew." Tom drawled, slowly standing up and wiping his hands clean on a nearby cloth. So much for his tractor repairs. There was no telling how long it would take to get the leech off of his back this time.   
  
"Now, why would you ever talk about me like that, Thomas? I thought we had become quite fast friends over the past month we've been talking!" Joey declared, mock shock in his tone. He was using his slightly higher pitched tone, the fake one he used when he was trying to snake past your defenses. Tom had heard his real voice, a deep rumbling one that was nothing like the snake oil salesman voice he used on the farm.  
  
"There's nothing more we can give to the Council, Drew. You're barking up a barren tree. If we give you anymore, we'll be bankrupt." Tom stated gruffly, cutting to the chase.   
  
"Now surely it couldn't hurt to give a little more? After all, Angelis favors the generous, and will repay you for every bit you give-" He stopped as a growl escaped Tom, who was fed up with hearing that familiar spiel. Generosity was good and all, but not when it harmed the giver. Joey held up his hands, smiling a bit, changing topics, which was a surprise for Thomas. He usually tried far harder than this.  
  
"All right, all right, I know you've heard it already, but I hope you are really considering it! I'm here on different business however." He smiled a bit, the grin of a snake that had cornered a mouse. "You see, we've heard rumors that humans have begun to invade our fair Tunis, as the Great Angelis forewarned! They've even begun to twist some toons against the common good, consorting with them and producing twisted, monstrous children that should never have seen the light of day!"  
  
Tom paled at the announcement, Joey holding up a drawn picture of grotesque, vaguely humanoid figures that looked more befitting of a horror novel. Joey continued. "Now, we have learned they are disguising these foul monstrosities as common toons, and infiltrating everyday life to undermine the will of Angelis and the common good! Because of this, we have devised a plan to meticulously work through Tunis and weed out these deceptive monsters, and all with a very simple test."  
  
He smiled, vicious and eager as he pulled out a new page, one with a circle of runes on the front, and space at the bottom for the results. "All you need to do is put your hand here, and we'll see where your blood truly lies."  
  
"And if it comes up with human blood? What do you plan to do to these toons, Joey? What if they are upstanding members of the community, who have only contributed to the common good?" Tom huskily demanded. He couldn't let them run this test on Allison. There was no way she could take this test and survive.  
  
"They'll be taken to Castle City for review by the greater Angelic authorities of the council. There they will determine the true nature of the human tainted toon, and release any who are truly good despite their wicked contaminated blood. You have to remember, humans are amazing liars, and those skills are inherited by their children. A partial human desires the fall of Tunis as strongly as any full human, for they know only hatred in the depths of their hearts, like their human ancestors." Joey began, standing tall, as if preaching to a crowd, his hands gesturing.   
  
"They could be anyone. Your school teacher, the friend at the pub, or even.. your own wife.." He grinned cruelly at that, though he tried to put on a mask of sympathy. The cruel delight still shone through however. Everyone knew of Allison's slightly odd looks, and while most of the community would not turn on her, those outside of it.. "And, when we find a human or partial human in our midst, we'll be forced to freeze all of their assets and hold onto them while they are reviewed. We can't afford the human menace using our own resources against us!"  
  
Thomas saw red at that, fur beginning to rise on the back of his neck as he bared his teeth. There was no way Joey Drew could have pulled something like this without an actual angelic mandate behind him, but he had made a bee line for Allison and Thomas the moment it became an official order, scenting easy prey. He would get the farm one way or another, even if it meant damning someone as kind as Allison to the merciless Angelic Council. They would not be releasing any part human toons, and would likely take their reputation and run it through the mud while they were being held. No. They would take these resources without mercy, because in all reality, could you be completely certain you did not have a bit of human in you? That your great grandparent or who knows what wasn't part human, and had given you and your family that sliver of human blood?  
  
"Now, now, Mr. Connor? Why the strange face? Surely you don't have something to _hide_ , now do you?" Joey hissed, grinning as he pressed closer with the page. He pulled a pair of glowing handcuffs from his pocket, one that he only needed to make contact with a bipedal being's body to restrain them. Thomas backed up, while Joey advanced several steps. "Surely you have nothing to hide, Mr. Connor. It's such a simple test. All I need is your hand, and your wife's hand on another one of my tests."  
  
"You know what, you bloody snake? You can have the farm. You can have it all. But you aren't _touching my wife."_ Tom snarled, his limbs stiffening as he switched to a fighting stance. "I'll make sure their isn't even enough of you left behind for the **_CROWS_**!"  
  
"Now, isn't this something!" Joey chuckled, pulling a second weapon. It was a baton, extending in his hand and glowing with holy energy that would burn and shock any who came in contact with it. "A toon willingly aiding a human hybrid? For shame! Angelis looks down upon your foolish-"  
  
He didn't get to finish his speech, or his approach towards the snarling wolf, before he was encased in a chill wind that came from the roof stairway. It partially froze the Angelic Council member in place, the massive crow dragon easily clambering out of the attic. He jumped atop the tractor and hit the man with another icy breath, a dart of pleasure going through him as he froze the weasal in place. Slick brown hair and healthy peach skin took a blue hue as ice encased him, leaving the toon to glare hatefully from his icy prison. It would not melt quickly enough for him to stop them, it would not melt quickly at _all_.  
  
Icarus turned to Tom, crowing to him. Tom, being a bestial toon, understood beast tongue, and as such understood Icarus.   
_  
"I hope I didn't misread your call there."_ Icarus crowed. " _But I feel interfering here hasn't really changed your situation. Allison should still be at the mansion helping Luke learn the local fauna. I can take you there, far faster than you can run. Every moment counts now."_  
  
"Yeah." Tom grunted, gesturing for the bird to get down. He awkwardly climbed onto the birds back, the Corva shifting every which way until the toon was in the right position. "I hope this doesn't become a common thing."  
  
_"I'm afraid it might, my friend."_ Icarus croaked, pacing out of the barn, shutting and locking the doors with his beak for extra measure. Anything to hamper that rat, Joey. He started towards the woods, picking up speed slowly so Tom could adjust to the sensation, taking off before he reached the woods, flying with care between the trees on a familiar path. " _I won't lie to you, though. Freezing that rat has to be the highlight of my week., and I found a garnet the day before."  
_  
"It was certainly the highlight of my month." Tom rumbled, clutching Icarus' neck nervously as he flew. They had no choice but to flee, especially in the face of these tests. Joey wasn't going to be the only Angelic Council member pushing these tests onto people.   
  
  
\----------  
  
  
"You, what?!" Allison demanded, her expression shocked.   
  
"We froze the rat in place. Icarus says it's unlikely to kill him, but it will probably leave him sick once he thaws. That isn't important now." Tom quickly answered. Luke and Heart were there as well, watching the wolf with concern. "We need to leave. We can't stay anymore, Allison. The Angelic Council is pushing tests that determine what makes up your heritage, and anyone with so much as a sliver of human blood in them is going to be sent to Castle City. You and I both know what's been going on there. You go in.. If you come back out, you won't be you anymore."  
  
"The 'blank' angels. You believe they were other toons?" Luke asked, having heard the rumor about the strange angels from Allison.   
  
"Where else could they come from? The Council has been pushing for everyone to look alike, think alike, and act alike more and more with each year. Whose to say they won't be willing to go that far?" Tom rumbled. "I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but there's simply evidence I've heard and seen for this to be circumstantial."  
  
"Heart no want to be stinking, boring angel. Heart only want to be Heart.." Heart muttered, crossing her arms. She was crouching, tail swishing side to side with anxiety. She didn't like all this talk of turning one being into another kind. There was no point in changing something if they were happy with what they were. Well, if they were conscious. Plants were a different matter, they didn't care so long as they were alive.  
  
"You're not going to become one so long as you don't act foolishly and get caught by the Angelic Council." Luke stated, concern starting to appear on his face. He looked to the married couple, who had pressed together, heads bowed together as fearful whispers were exchanged. All of their life, everything they had built up together.. Gone. He waited a moment, before speaking. "What do you plan on doing?"  
  
"I.. There's an area to the east, The Elves of the Redwood forest. It is a small, sovereign kingdom of it's own. They do not hate humans there like the Councils have taught Tunis to. They may let us take refuge there." Allison answered.   
  
"How far is it?" Luke asked softly.  
  
"It's.. A long journey. If we're lucky, we won't run into any of the Angelic Council's patrols." Allison answered.  
  
"It won't be a matter of luck. We will ensure it." Luke declared. Heart stood, grinning as well.  
  
"Screw those stinky angels! We will deny their wants!" Heart declared, grinning a bit.   
  
"R-Really?" Allison questioned, Tom looking to hem in shock as well.  
  
"Yes. We have to vacate the premises as well in wake of what has happened on the farm, but we will not abandon you. You have been nothing but kind to us and have helped us greatly. We will not abandon you to such a horrible fate." Luke declared calmly.   
  
"What about your boss?" Allison questioned. Luke shook his head.   
  
"Pippen is a capable person. She will take care of herself. Our appearance may very well throw a wrench into any plans or cover she may have. She will know to flee the Angelic Council by this point, and likely will be fleeing to the Redwoods as well, if they are more unbiased towards those who are part humans." Luke murmured.   
  
"Heart will help scaredy cat lady for being good sport." Heart snickered, tail flicking every which way, giving away her anxiety. "Scaredy Allison can ride on Little Bird. She is strong."  
  
"And you can ride with me, Tom. We will have to take more breaks, becuase Corvas and Tytos don't usually carry two people, but we will reach the redwoods, and they will grow stronger with each wingbeat." Luke declared. Icarus crowed in agreement, while Little Bird flapped her wings defiantly. There was no such thing as impossible for Little Bird.   
  
"We can't thank you enough.." Allison murmured, tears of gratitude showing in her eyes. How was it two beings from a human land, one mostly human and one that had been around humans for so long, could be so kind compared to her fellow toons? Was that even fair of her to judge the other toons so harshly? She had only really seen mostly the Angelic Council's underlings in the past months, and the townsfolk she had been in contact with had been under the same pressure as herself and Tom.   
  
"We couldn't leave you to such an impossible task in good faith." Luke murmured. He was rearranging the straps on Icarus saddle, which he had sat on the bird's back. It would help keep them all safe for now, though he would prefer to keep working at it with the supplies he had on hand.   
  
"Actually... there is one thing you could do." Luke suddenly stated. "I don't mean to demote you to little more than bags, but I've noticed that items placed in a toons pocket barely effects a toons weight. If you two could place some of the supplies into your hammerspace, we would be able to move with greater ease."  
  
"Oh? That's a good idea, though food will still rot at the same pace.." Allison warned.   
  
"Most of the food we still have stored is non perishable jerky and the like. We'll pack that first between the bags and your pockets, and bring a bit of the perishables with us if there is space and eat that first." Luke mused, watching Heart dutifully rearrange the straps on her saddle as well. It was a good thing they made them with extra straps at the ranch. Just in case one busted, or for quick emergency secondary riders. It would be better to set a dual rider saddle up soon, though. When they were safely away from this place.   
  
"All right." Allison murmured, both her and Tom following his directions, the group moving with silent haste, aware of time ticking away with every moment.  
  
  



	20. The scale of danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some hidden information comes to light, and presents the true scale of what Tunis is facing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> Forgive me for the delay, but it took me a while to work out how to precisely deliver this part and I've been sick off and on, hence why last chapter was so short ):

Pidge shifted nervously in the alleyway he had hidden in, trying to ignore the stench of garbage as he crouched among the refuse. The Angelic patrols had only grown thicker and thicker as he traveled, and had grown even worse as he neared the border of the Elvish Kingdom and Tunis. To make matters worse, they were carrying simple magical tests to determine the parentage of the toon who touched the circle of runes. His disguise would not hide his angelic heritage.  
  
If it weren't for all of the flying patrols, he would have flown for it. That and the fear he would be shot down by the tense guards on the elven side of the border. He wouldn't even see them before he had an arrow in him, if they decided to take him down. They would shoot him without a doubt if he dared to approached in his true form.. But maybe they would be merciful with his Stryx form. After all, he would appear as a beast, and a curious one at that. But if the angel's saw him..  
  
It was all a mess, and he needed help. Help he hoped to find in a local bar. This town was one he used to work, after all. Long ago, before he was caught questioning to much and not obeying enough. He had been on fairly good terms with most of the toons in the town, though they mostly regarded him with the same hesitance most toons felt towards the Angelic Council's members now-a-days. But there had been one in particular who didn't care what he was, but who he was, and how he acted. That was the toon he sought today.  
  
A careful glance around revealed the darkened streets were clear once more, Pidge hurrying the rest of the way to the bar. It was a squat thing, with stairs leading into the ground where the bar was. It was a simple place, a bar at the front, some tables scattered around, a wall of alcoholic drinks behind the bar. Typical bar decorations, light up signs, some odds and ends, nothing that really caught his eye. He was too busy trying to pretend like he belonged here.  
  
Pidge sat at the bar, the waiter, a thick jowled bulldog with an apron and striped shirt under it, approached. He was a rough looking toon, tall and bulky, and spoke with a voice that seemed to rumble from the very depths of his being. "What'll it be?"  
  
"Oh- AH- I would like a..." Pidge hesitated, drawing a blank. What was a type of alcoholic drink here that was tolerable? What- Oh! "Do you have Dragon's Breath? If you do, I'd like a shot of that."  
  
"Dragon's breath? Walking a bit on the daring side today, or just looking for something fruity?" The bipedal canine rumbled, laughing a bit. Dragon's Breath was a very sweet drink, unusually so for an alcoholic beverage, but what it packed a ridiculous punch, said to be so potent that a couple shots could have a dragon tipsy. It was also said to be created by a dragon and was his favorite brew, because it always put him in a good mood and made his breath smell good, unlike other drinks. When he shared how to make it, the name 'Dragon's Breath' stuck, because improved breath was a prominent feature, even among dragon imbibers.  
  
"A little of both if I'm honest." Pidge offered, flushing nervously. The bulldog laughed, pulling a bottle from behind him, a decorative glass dragon wrapped around it. The neck of the glass was actually the neck of the dragon, and the cork had to be removed from it's maw to get to the brew, which was a pale golden color. The canine slid the shot glass to Pidge, who eyed it nervously. Surely it couldn't be so powerful that one shot would endanger him. It would look odd if he just sipped it.  
  
He knocked it back, the liquid trailing an odd, warm sensation down his throat. He had never imbibed alcohol before, but he had heard that some types burned on the way down, and was grateful that despite having 'dragon' in it's name the drink did not burn like a dragon's breath. When he put the glass back down, he sighed, feeling a tad bit more relaxed and at ease. Warmth was spreading from his stomach to his limbs, a soothing sensation to his tired, aching bones.  
  
"Oh, so that's why dragon's like it." Pidge murmured to himself.  
  
The bulldog laughed. "Yeah, but it's a strong drink, bucko, so I'm afraid I'm limiting your intake until I'm sure you can handle it. You wouldn't be the first young buck to come in here and bite off a bit more than he can chew."  
  
"Oh, I understand." Pidge offered amicably, a bit relieved. He wouldn't have to work out how many drinks he had to actually drink to make him look like a legit toon who was meant to be here and not doing something sort of suspicious. "I'll behave, Mister, I promise. I don't want to find out how hard someone with muscles like you can hit."  
  
"That's a good idea." The canine laughed again, proudly flexing his muscles. "Just sit back and relax kid. A singer is supposed to be coming around soon if them patrols ain't holding them up to long. You wouldn't think an old hand at construction work could sing like him, but he'll blow you away."  
  
Pidge sat up a bit more, partially because he had started to slump out of the seat with how relaxed he was but also because of the description. A construction worker who frequented this location to sing? Bingo. Before he fully lost himself, he quickly dug out payment for the drink, sliding it to the bulldog, who took it without hesitation, slipping the change back to him. A bit expensive, but given how unique it was, and potent, it wasn't a surprise.  
  
For the moment however, Pidge idly relaxed, rolling a coin around. The light that glinted off of the edge of the coin looked like a tiny drake, excitedly slithering along the edge of the coin as it rolled around. He smiled a bit to himself, watching as the flickering light morphed into a Stryx. It took his mind back to his mission, and to the people who had assigned it to him. Or rather, the one who was convinced to let him take the job. He wondered what the odd imp was up too now. The test hadn't reached the big cities yet, but he was sure the Angelic Council was working on getting it in there. But Dewey would warn her. She would be fine.  
  
_"Oh, la la la, de di da  
La la, de di da, da dum"  
_  
Music surrounded Pidge, his thoughts moving at a relaxed pace. He finally realized how long it had been going on for, and turned to the stage, spotting a short bestial toon shorter than even Pippen. His large green eyes looked over the crowd as he sang, a sphinx dutifully tapping away at the piano. The Sulfur Crested Cockatoo leapt back onto his chair, his body very much like the feral counterpart, though his eyes were larger and the last four of his feathers on each wing could work as a finger, and he had a fifth that acted as a thumb, though it was often hidden against the body of his wing. White feathers glittered beneath the lighting, the black tips on his wings and tail feathers a sharp contrast to his body, the white speckles scattered over the black glittering like starlight.  
  
_"Sing us a song, you're the piano man  
Sing us a song tonight  
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody  
And you got us feelin' alright"_  
  
The cockatoo sang, pouring his heart into the song. He had an impressive vocal range, but he didn't show off the full width of it, not for this song. No, Oliver Green may have been a self taught singer, but he knew what would and would not please the crowd. Tonight would be his last night at his favorite bar. He had his interest sparked by a recent development, enough so to seek a certain spell from an Elf he knew that would help shed some light on his mysterious family tree. He knew his mother had claimed they had a bit of demon blood in him, even if it didn't really show.. But it had been confirmed, and now it left him with so many questions..  
  
As the song wound down, the Cockatoo leapt from the stage, waddling to the bar for a drink. He sat next to an unfamiliar toon, a young lad with a scar on his face, though he felt strangely familiar. His grey eyes were a bit foggy, and judging from the liquid at the bottom of his shot glass he had taken a dose of something strong.  
  
"Oi, Bruiser, hit me with one of the usual!" Oliver called to the bar tender, who nodded in acknowledgement as he worked on wringing an order from a stuttering pig. It would probably be a bit of time before he was loosed. He turned towards the boy, looking him up and down, making eye contact and finally speaking. "Have we met before? You got a face that's tickling my brain something fierce, but I can't quite put it where."  
  
"We might have." The mannish toon answered, his words a bit slurred. He blinked, trying to focus on his words. "Once, in the sky"  
  
"You work any of the constructions round here? Maybe for Bertrum Piedmount?" Oliver questioned. He had worked on a number of jobs, a couple high rises and odds and ends, until he had been picked up by Berturm and given a far better job working on his amusement parks and custom buildings. The man was a whizz with building, albeit a bit terrifying when angry. His personal strict work ethic ensured that the multi armed mannish toon had never lost his temper with him.  
  
"Wh- No, no. Not like that." The lad gave a frustrated sigh, Oliver's crest slipping up as his curiosity was peaked. Bruiser slid his drink to him, and the Cockatoo took the shot, looking back to the mannish toon.  
  
"Listen, I know I've seen you're face somewhere, man." Oliver stated, a bit more confidently now. "I have an iron clad memory when it comes to faces. I've seen you're mug somewhere. Tell me, how recent is that scar? Maybe that's what's throwing me off."  
  
"Very recent." Pidge answered. "Within the past couple months. You could say I flew to high, and was scorched by the sun for my stubbornness."  
  
The phrase gave Oliver pause, who cocked his head. That scar looked too old to have happened in the past couple months. And the way he talked.. It reminded him of something. He stretched his wings, sliding off the bar stool and heading to the bathroom. He stopped outside of it, looking meaningfully at the lad, and hoping he wasn't so soaked that he didn't pick up on the hint. The bathrooms were pretty well insulated, so it was a good place to speak.  
  
Several minutes later, the lad appeared, Oliver walking out from behind the bathroom door, having been waiting where it would not quite reach after it was opened. "All right, man. Enough of the poetry. Who are you? I know you. But I ain't up for games. Not with all them angels running around, messing with people with those stupid tests."  
  
"Yeah, those tests are awful." Pidge agreed. "It made reaching you undetected so much harder, Olive Oil."  
  
"Oi, who do you think you a-" Oliver bristled as the stranger used his nickname, one only a very specific few were permitted to use. He paused, eyes darting around in thought before locking on him as realization slowly dawned. "Pidge?"  
  
"Yes. I have some new help who gave me this disguise. I can expl-" Pidge began, still a bit relaxed and droopy thanks to his drink. He jolted as Oliver jumped at him, hugging his friend, before dangling off to the side by one wing.  
  
"Pidge! You old son'ova'gun! Where the hell have you been? You're literally the only angel that was bearable in this town. What happened to your halo? Wait- Can they un-angelify someone? Is that a thing?" Oliver eagerly jabbered, pausing at the question for a moment, eyes wild with possibilities.  
  
"No, no! Listen, I missed you to, but I need you to be quiet before you draw attention. If the Council finds out I'm loose again I'm a dead man." Pidge hissed, rapidly sobering up as fear set in. "Listen, I can tell you everything, but we need a place safer than a bar bathroom. It's too long and too complicated for this place." That and the bathroom didn't smell to pleasant.  
  
"Well heck, I don't usually cut my time here short, but I'll make an exception for you. Now, you head out to the front and sober up in the cool air, while I settle my tab with Bruiser. Once I'm done, I'll collect you and we can head up to my place and swap stories. You'd be amazed how much the Council has done to try and tick off them elves in the past couple months." Oliver quickly whispered in his ear, the angel nodding in compliance. It didn't surprise him that they were still working at their campaign to try and entrap the elves in an incriminating scene.  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
"Well, ain't this a fine mess." Oliver muttered rubbing his chin in thought. "The Angelic Council is only ramping up on things when you need to make your way across the border."  
  
"Basically." Pidge sighed. The alcohol had worn off at this point, the pair sitting up until well into the early hours of the morning. He had given his half of the story, which had taken up most of the night hours as Oliver slipped tidbits of extra info from him. He had meant to keep things simple, but there was always something about Oliver that made him drop his guard and speak a bit more freely. It seemed common among others who spoke to him as well. His small size and charisma seemed to always work in his favor.  
  
"Mmm. Well than. You're a lucky duck today, Pidge, because I've got a deal with a couple lads to help me cross the border myself. You see, a recent one of those test by those recent Angelic Council duds proved that there is demon blood on my mother's side. And that got me to wondering about all those stories she used to tell me about my grandparents, their 'forbidden' love and running away and taking a new name and the like. Got me curious enough to seek out a certain Elf on the other side of the border for a bit of help." Oliver declared, glancing to the lightening sky through the window. "The only problem is.. You'll need wings."  
  
"I.. May have a second disguise up my sleeve." Pidge offered. "But it's a bit large. But it has wings."  
  
"Well well, aren't you full of all kinds of tricks! Now than, how about we talk about that and figure out what we're going to do." Oliver laughed, eyes flickering with interest. Pidge managed a smile, despite his nerves. Oliver was always the one telling him that he needed to be more careful and 'get some tricks up his sleeve' if he was going to be questioning the Angelic Council the way he was. A shame he hadn't listened to him sooner.  
  
  
\--------  
  
"Well, I'd usually charge you more, but since we're on good terms Oliver.. I suppose I can look past it this once." A shady looking flamingo wearing a newsboy's cap muttered down to the Cockatoo, who was grinning wide. The dull pink bird stubbed his cigar out on a nearby brick building, sighing to himself. The pair before him had walked into a part of town that was closest to the border, though it had been a nerve wracking experience for Pidge.  
  
The closer they got to the border, the thicker the angelic patrols had become. Most of them hadn't bothered them, most of them didn't appear to even want to be there. Oliver managed to talk their way out of any group that did stop them, and given how well known he was they all knew he had already done his test. With that knowledge, and his disarming friendliness towards the angels, he was able to get most of them off of their back in moments.  
  
Now they stood in a back alley with a tall flamingo toon with unusually dull feathers, and an eye patch covering one eye. He reeked of cigars, and tapped his webbed foot with impatience as he eyed the pair. He continued to speak moments later. "You sure this kid can fly? I ain't got anyone that can carry a toon his size, and it ain't going to work without flying."  
  
"The kids on the level, Ross. Trust me. He's a magic user, he's got some tricks up his sleeves. He won't mess things up." Oliver reassured, holding up a wing towards Pidge.  
  
"You better be right, O. I don't need no witnesses standing around when the Angelic Council comes knocking." Ross muttered.  
  
"I am dead certain this will go off without a hitch." Oliver declared, holding a wing over his heart, the other in the air. "Scout's honor."  
  
"You ain't no scout." Ross snickered. He turned without further word, walking down another alley.  
  
"All right. Once things pop off, we're in the air. Get your change on, Pidge." Oliver declared, watching in fascination as the enchantment changed the angel over to a Stryx. "Oh, you weren't lying, it is big! But I don't think it will be a problem."  
  
"What exactly are we wai-" Pidge began to ask, cut off by a cacophony of sound.  
  
"BIRD UP! SQUARE UP, ANGELS!" Ross shout came from somewhere nearby, a cacophony of squawks and cries coming from all manner of birds and bird-related toons. They took to the air the same moment as roughly three dozen other bird toons took to the sky, all rough customers, streaming towards the nearest angelic patrol flying over the area. "THE SKY BELONGS TO THE BIRDS! WE'LL TEACH YOU TO RESTRICT OUR AIR TIME!"  
  
" _Not again Ross-!"_ An angel shouted before the flock of birds reached them, the sky exploding into utter chaos.  
  
"Fly man, fly! We've got a small window before they get their back up here!" Oliver called to Pidge, both of them pumping their wings as hard as they could. There was a swath of about two miles between them and the forest, but every moment counted. If a secondary patrol arrived, they would be able to down the pair easily. They had been dealing with runners trying to get into the Redwoods for weeks, ever since the Angelic Council had begun to push more and more. Another two would be nothing if an unhampered squad appeared.  
  
"THE SKY IS FOR THE BIRDS!" Ross squawked somewhere behind them, moments before he took one of his long legs and kicked an angel in the face mid-flight. He was likely going to be looking at more time in the slammer for _another_ attack on the local angelic patrols, so he was going to make this fight one for the history books. Or, at least, one that he could share with the other prisoners and garner some awe and approval from them for.  
  
"What is that?" Called an angel, pointing towards the cream owl dragon flying through the sky with a cockatoo, moments before he took a kick to the face from the flamingo. He blacked out and totally forget what he had seen as he spiraled out of the sky. Ross had never had a client on the crossing caught, and today wouldn't be the day of his first failure.  
  
Pidge flew hard, he and Oliver crossing the empty space and into the woods in a matter of minutes, though it felt like an eternity. In moments they exchanged the harsh glare of the sun for the cool shadows of the redwoods. The trees were tall and thick, their bark a red-brown. They reached high, with very few branches along their trunk for the first ten or twenty feet on the majority of them. There was a mix of smaller trees and boulders that would allow a clever climber to skip part of the empty expanse and cling to the side of the tree with the proper tools, or climb higher to the branches of the tall trees easily, or to just hide in the shorter trees.  
  
It was from one of these shorter trees that the first arrow came from, a warning shot that sliced between the pair, a squawk of alarm escaping Oliver.  
  
"Land now, or we will force you to land!" A voice called. It sounded almost.. musical, sweet like bird song despite the harsh warning in it's tone. An elvish voice for sure.  
  
"We'll land, we'll land, just give us the chance!" Oliver shouted back, uncertain where the arrow had come from. He couldn't see any signs of who the arrow had come from, but he knew it was a border guard.. And where there was one there was likely several more, silently waiting among the trees. It would be impossible to tell where they were, at least for a layman like him, at least not before they were riddled with arrows. Than they would probably be able to guess where one or two might have been.  
  
Oliver had an easier time of landing, though Pidge was still new to this form, and had to take several tries before he found an area clear enough of vegetation to land. It split him from Oliver, and when he went to pace back to the Cockatoo an arrow shot down from the sky, stopping him short. A new voice, one like the rumble of an avalanche, spoke, most likely a male. "Stay there, angel."  
  
"O-OK." Pidge answered nervously, eyes widening as they saw through his disguise easily. "I-I mean you no harm. I swear. I have not come here on the behalf of the Angelic Council. I work on my own.. and in part for the Association of Historical Knowledge."  
  
"Interesting." The voice rumbled once more, now closer to him. He jumped, but resisted the urge to whip around and look at the speaker. The elf, a tall wide bodied male, unusually brawny for an elf, walked around to face him, staring at him. "Do you have any proof for those claims?"  
  
The guard was tall, but that was to be expected given what he was, with large eyes that had a colored sclera, his sclera being gold, an iris, which was a white-silver, and black pie-cut pupils. He likely had a bit of another toon type in his blood to have pupils like that. That would also help explain the bulky frame. He had a well kept mustache and beard covering the front of his face, the same auburn as his long hair, held back in with a tied ribbon. His skin was a light tan, his eyes glittering even in the low light as he approached.  
  
Even if he had another toon in his blood, he moved and looked like an elf, ethereally beautiful in an undefinable way, almost as if he had stepped from a master painters canvas. He wore red-brown and green clothing and armor, the perfect blend of shades to help him blend in with the shadows of the forest. On his hip was a short sword, a work of art in itself but just as effective as any other sword, and on his back was a quiver of arrows and a beautifully crafted bow.  
  
"I do.. But it's in my pocket. If you will permit me to take another form, I can get it out for you." Pidge stated nervously. It was clear in his body language and tone that he was intimidated, and not considering putting up a fight. The elves long ears twitched in thought, gold glinting at the end of one.  
  
"Take your angelic form." He ordered. Pidge paused but did as he was instructed, feeling oddly relieved to be back in his natural form. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter, handing it to the guard, who took it from him. He looked over the seal, and the name of it's purposed recipient, pocketing it himself. "It seems you've gotten things in order better than most of the angels who have come here. If one of the Association of Historical Knowledge is willing to vouch for you, than you are likely more trustworthy than the others who have turned their back to the association and fled here."  
  
"Th-There are more angels?!" Pidge questioned, jumping a bit as a figure appeared beside the male. She was female, with more dramatically colored eyes, her sclera a deep blue-black and her iris gold. Her ears were longer than the males, her pupils not showing any sign of other toon influence, not any of her other features. She wore similar armor and clothing to him, as well as a similar sword and bow, though they were slightly different from the males. It was said every elvish made weapon was unique after all, even if they bore some similarities at first glance.  
  
"Yes." The female answered. "You are not the only angel with a conscious. But you are the first with such an interesting letter. We will take you to the elders, but keep in mind that you are surrounded by guards. Any funny business and you will be taken down in moments.  
  
"I-I don't intend any funny business, M-Ma'am." Pidge nervously stuttered, wings tucking behind him.  
  
"Don't think you're getting rid of me!" Oliver piped up. "I ain't ditching my bro. I'm gonna see him through to the end before I find my contact here. And then I'm gonna help him more, because we're spitting in Angelo Voildrus' face!" Pidge cringed and shivered in fear at the mention of the head of the Angelic Council's inner circle, the response not missed by the elves. It made it clear his claims were more legit. All of the refugees who were truly fleeing the council feared the head the most. They had detected the undercurrent of wrongness that surrounded the head of the inner circle.  
  
"We did not expect you to leave them." The female stated simply. "Though it will be at the elder's discretion if you will be part of their meeting with him."  
  
"Well ain't that a load of-" Oliver began, cutting himself off and switching to a grouchy mutter as he received a sharp glare from the guards. They followed the elves, Pidge shooting him a sympathetic look as they walked.  
  
  
\--------  
  
  
After an hour of walking through the forest, they were brought in front of a rope ladder. The shadows had changed, and a quick look up revealed a village constructed in the trees, expertly balanced and weighted to prevent the thick trees from coming down under the circular buildings, bridges, and smaller partial round houses. Some of them were almost like birdhouses, except with proper doors and windows, while other buildings wrapped around the entirety of the tree, most of the later appearing to be community buildings.  
  
"I heard they lived in trees, but I didn't think they met literally..." Pidge murmured, looking up to the complex array of bridges, stairs, ladders, and platforms.  
  
"It is but one of the most common ways our people try to live as one with nature." The female guard stated. She gestured to the rope ladder. "Climb. Do not fly. You do not have the clearance to do so and will be shot down by the City guard if you do."  
  
"This is a city?!" Oliver questioned, looking further into the trees, trying to see how far the construction continues. "How do you keep it all up?"  
  
"With careful and wise construction." The male gruffly answered. "Now climb."  
  
"We're going, We're going." Pidge quickly started up the ladder, intensely aware of eyes on them. Once he reached the top, he clambered onto the platform, several guards staring intently at him, waiting around the point the ladder ended. He held his hands up as he reached the top, stepping out of the way. As he waited for the others, he looked around, eyes landing on other types of toons, as well as a handful of angels, though they quickly ducked out of sight, avoiding his eyes. They didn't want to be identified if he wasn't on the level.  
  
It took a couple moments before their group was back together, the guards who had been with them speaking quickly to the ones waiting around the ladder. One of them was handed the letter, the guard running off to deliver it and hear the elder's verdict, while the rest wrapped around Oliver and Pidge, forcing them to stay there. There was some questions, but Pidge gave them the same answers he had given the other guards, while Oliver explained they were friends, and how he was here seeking a spell crafter.. But he wasn't going to abandon Pidge until he was sure he was safe.  
  
"Loyalty like that is hard for an angel to find outside of the Council now-a-days." A guard mused, glancing to Pidge. "Best to not squander it, Angel."  
  
"I don't intend to.." Pidge mumbled.  
  
A moment later and the messenger guard returned, relaying something to the others in the language of elves. It sounded more like singing than speech, the group nodding and beginning to lead the pair towards the northern most point in the city. It seemed the meeting had been agreed to, though Pidge couldn't get many answers from the elves. Slowly, the climbed higher and higher, until they reached the highest and furthest point of the city, to the largest tree they had yet seen in the forest. And elaborate building was attached to it, the supports stretching to trees that stood close to the largest.  
  
It was dim inside, lit by a few magical lights and a couple incense candles, the main room a wide space. There was a small raise, the council arranged in a half circle, seated at the far end of the room, a small squat desk in front of each to work from.  
  
In the center was the eldest elf alive, the elder looking upon the newcomers with calm, wise eyes. His sclera was gold, the iris orange, his hair a deep gold streaked with grey. It was long but well kept, tied behind him in a simple ponytail, his clothing comfortable and simple. He nodded in acknowledgement to them, smiling gently. His face was creased with many wrinkles, and a great deal of wear, the sign of truly ancient elf.  
  
To his right was a female, sitting tall and proud. Her eyes had a white sclera , her iris a white-silver, while her pupils were silver. Despite this, she could still see, her sharp eyes watching them the moment they entered. Her clothing was a bit more elaborate then the first elders, but still leaned into comfort and function as well. She frowned at the sight of them, head held high as she watched them. She only had some mild wrinkling, scarcely showing against her youthful appearance.  
  
To his left was another male, a quiet, short elf with thoughtful eyes. His sclera was blue, the iris turquoise and the pupil black. His clothing held a great deal of function to them, various bags around his hips, filled with items. He was considerably younger than the first two, but he was still the third eldest elf in the woods despite his more youthful appearance. He watched them approach, curiosity in his gaze.  
  
Then came the surprise, one on each side of the elven council. Two Stryx, both Tytos, sat in the fourth and fifth position for the Grand Elder Council, watching them with intelligent eyes.  
  
The first was a deep black, save for a single white dot in the center of their forehead.Grey-black eyes stared at them harshly, looking for any sign of ill intent, the Tyto unnaturally still. Her black beak and talons were near perfect black, the talons flexing lightly as she watched them. No scar of damage marred her feathers or body, but her eyes spoke of years upon years of life, far beyond the natural span of a DracoStryx.  
  
The second had a similar look to their eyes, though they were a silvery color, near white. Their expression was far more gentle and kind, looking upon them with sympathy. His feathers were a perfect snow white, save the black dot in the center of his forehead. His beak and talons were a soft silver-grey, nearing white, his body untouched by time despite the sense of age that surrounded him.  
  
"Welcome." The Center elder declared, looking upon them kindly. "You come with most intriguing news, young Pidge. My name is Llywellyn, the head of the Grand elder's council. We five are the oldest of the elven of the community, and we use our age and experience to guide our fellow elves through the challenges the future may provide."  
  
"I-It is an honor to meet you, Llywellyn." Pidge quickly greeted, bowing to him. Oliver bowed as well after a moment, looking to Pidge first in confusion and then realization, hastily following his lead.  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. According to your letter, you've been through quite an ordeal.. And yet fate saw fit to save you. How strange and fickle it can be." Llywellyn murmured.  
  
"Do we know this 'Dewey' in anyway?" The female elf demanded, sitting back on her cushion silently.  
  
"Yes, Gwyneth. I am very familiar with the Association of Historical Knowledge. Dewey is a member of high standing. He would not idly give his mark of approval to anyone, especially an angel." The third elder stated. The Stryx watched on silently, their expression scarcely changing.  
  
"You better be right, Iorwerth." Gwyneth murmured, looking to him with sharp eyes. Both her and the black Stryx looked down upon him. "This wouldn't be the first time your connection to this 'Association of Historical Knowledge' would be taken advantage of-"  
  
"That was not-" Iorwerth's face reddened as he bristled. "The Association was framed. That incident had nothing to do with them! They would never condone the destruction of any historical document!"  
  
"So you claim. Even though it was one that documented one of the sins of Toons against elves-"  
  
"It was an from over one thousand years ago! We both know toons do not look back that far! It is a moot point to them-"  
  
"Enough." Llywellyn interrupted, the pair falling silent. "We have agreed that this matter is not to be brought up until more evidence is brought forward. There is far to much speculation and uncertainty in this moment for us to decide the absolute truth of this matter. Besides, it is rude for us to fall into petty squabbling before an already nervous guest."  
  
The elders fell silent, a new voice speaking, coming from the white Stryx. His voice was male, gentle and soft. "It is a troubling matter what occurred, but there are strong arguments on both sides. We could argue over the matter for years but unless we have solid proof.."  
  
"Solid proof does not just fall into one's lap everyday, Yang." The black Stryx spoke now, her voice terse and harsh. "Sometimes, you must make decisions even with little information."  
  
"But hastiness fueled by anger is foolish, Yin." Yang stated in a calm tone, clearly not trying to start a fight. Yin simply harrumphed, letting the matter drop, as the grand elder desired.  
  
"Pardon our distraction. Sometimes, things can still become quite heated even among the elderly." Llywellyn laughed, aiming this at Pidge. He seemed a good matured being, though his eyes hardened when he had reprimanded the other two, suggesting a force of being that belied his ancient body. Pidge only gave a nervous nod, uncertain what to say. "Back to the topic at hand, you come at an interesting time. Many of your own have abandoned your council and bring concerning news with them. Word of a new kind of 'corruption', one terrible but carefully hidden.. A terrible master.. And terrible beasts with which they have chosen to work with."  
  
"Corruption?" Pidge answered, his intrigue sparked. He had always questioned what corruption was, though he had never received a clear answer. But.. "A new kind? But I thought corruption only turned Angels into Demon types.."  
  
"That is.. correct and incorrect." Iorwerth stated. "What your council calls corruption is no matter of corruption at all, not with most who experience it. Angelic and Demonic type toons are closer than they realize, and it is easier to gain the attributes common to one another if their internal magic changes enough. That change can be brought by emotions, or a simple matter of having the slightest bit of the other kinds blood in their lineage. It could be a matter of parents with slightly distorted magic coming together and creating a child with an attribute of the other 'end' of the spectrum, however slight. It is a fascinating matter we have yet to entirely nail down. It is not so much a 'corruption' as it is a shift."  
  
"A... Shift.." Pidge echoed. The Council had always taught that corruption was caused by evil within the soul, an evil deed unrepented for or ill intent held deep down. It was something to repent from, to strive to move away from but.. There were so many examples of angels he had met where that explanation simply didn't fit. Angels like Alice, and so many more before her.. They were all being punished by something they could not control.  
  
"Yes. From what studies we were able to conduct, roughly.. one out of ten of these shifts appear to be caused by emotional shifts, and very powerful ones in each case. Roughly seven out of ten are due to factors that could not be precisely determined but may have been environmental exposure to wild magic of the opposite variety, or so chaotic it throws off your natural internal magic, or magical accident exposure. About one out of ten was believed to be due to genetics, though any case of a demon and angel coming together is carefully hidden by the council and forbidden, so you most of these were hesitant guesses due to certain patterns seen within the volunteers family history. And the final one out of ten simply couldn't be determined. They could not report any history of magical exposure, nor were there signs of demonic influence in the family tree they could name, or severe emotional shifts. Some simply seem to be the will of Galyx." Iorwerth recited, seeming eager to share the information with someone who listened as intently as Pidge. Yang seemed happy for Iorwerth , while Yin and Gwyneth rolled their eyes.  
  
"That is.. Fascinat- Wait-" Pidge cut himself, realizing something. "Galyx? You said Galyx? The moth god?"  
  
"You know of Galyx?" Yang asked, perking up with curiosity.  
  
"Where would a hatchling like you have heard of the true gods?" Yin demanded. Yang glared at her, disapproving of her rougher nature, but holding his tongue for the moment. Yin had her nature, and he had his.  
  
"I- It's a long story-" Pidge mumbled, shuffling nervously. He glanced between the elders, eyes landing on Llywellyn, who gave him a gentle look of encouragement. "I- There's a half human toon working with the Association of Historical Knowledge. She's from a different land, from Wyvera-"  
  
"Wyvera?" Llywellyn murmured. "A traveler has come from Wyvera? I was told the one path the king knew of was being hidden by an ally on the other side."  
  
"I-It was." Pidge answered. "I- She told me she was sent through to give a letter to the King from someone named 'Agatha Moonthorn'. Pippen, the Wyverian, has refused to open the letter, but she says she was told it was a mission for peace she was sent on."  
  
"Likely, they were seeking word from the King after so many years of silence.." Llywellyn murmured. "We were told of his journeys through the human land, and of his desire to rekindle peace.. To see our world reunited with the wider world once more."  
  
"Reunited? What do you mean reunited?" Oliver echoed, blinking in confusion. Gwyneth and Yin glared in disapproval at him, but he didn't flinch or shy away. The elder was taking his time and dropping all kinds of interesting tidbits, but he wasn't explaining any of it.  
  
"Tunis was not always as it is now, a country in a world alone. There is so little land compared to the ocean and the scattering of islands we have.. So little. This world is artificial. A collection of toon dominated lands cut away from the wider world for their own protection from a terrible war. It was a collection of toons and humans who came together to perform this task, to give the opposing sides time to cool down with no more slaughter or bloodshed." Llywellyn declared.  
  
"How would you know? That's quite a tall order, old man-" Oliver questioned.  
  
"He was there, you insolent flying rat." Gwyneth growled.  
  
"Who are you calling-" Oliver started to growl, cutting off as a sword prodded him from behind warningly.  
  
"Settle down, settle down." Llywellyn calmly ordered. "It is good to question what you are told, rather than blindly believe it."  
  
"Grand Elder, you can not condone his conduct!" Iorwerth murmured, shaking his head in disapproval.  
  
"I can not, though I find no offense in it. The young certainly know how to keep us old elves on our toes." The Grand Elder chuckled. "I have not seen our little group so lively in so long. It is a pleasant change, though I must ask that you follow our standards of courtesy, my good toon. For the sake of my fellow elders, who are deserving of that respect, and to respect our ways. You are our guest after all"  
  
"..Pardon my mouth, Elders. I'll try to keep that in mind." Oliver apologized, bowing his head a bit. He liked the Grand Elder, who seemed to be too old to give a care about stiff decorum anymore, but at the same time the old elf had to keep the emotions of everyone in balance as well so they could continue this meeting without it devolving into a shouting match.  
  
"Thank you. As I said, once upon a time, many years ago, Tunis was part of the world Wyvera is part of, and was to the east of them. There was a sizeable ocean inlet between both countries, but we had a good relationship for many years. And then, it unexpectedly soured. A series of... Unfortunate events occurred. Some I can not say actually occurred. I can not deny or confirm them. It was a troubled, confused time. Anger and hatred was nurtured between our countries and our people at an unnaturally fast rate, and I fear powers beyond us may have been in part behind it's acceleration... And I fear that same power may be focusing it's gaze on Tunis once more, that we have wholly forgotten our roots, and the gods that once nurtured them."  
  
"Do you mean.. The ones you spoke of?" Pidge asked hesitantly.  
  
"Yes. Galyx, Daius, and Nokt. Once upon a time, they were our gods as well. They, after all, have dominion over our world. Or rather the world we were once part of. But.." The Grand Elder sighed. "After the separation, when the dust settled and everyone adapted to how our world had been rearranged, there was a concerted push to abandon the gods of our roots, though they had no hand in the war that had taken so many lives, and had tried to intercede and prevent it many times. As their final act, they agreed to a mighty spell on the day of an eclipse, when both Nokt and Daius influence are at their strongest at once. They helped us complete the spell to prevent our countries from falling into a bloody war that would have decimated both sides."  
  
"Your ancestors hunted our kind out of the skies, though we had as much claim to these lands as you toons." Yin hissed softly.  
  
"It is unfortunate, but it is what happened, and it was not the predecessor to the Angelic Council working alone. Many sought the destruction of Dracostryx, for the species has always had a tight bound to the three gods." Iorwerth murmured.  
  
"They were terrible times." Yang murmured. "If not for our friendship with Llywellyn, I fear we would have died as well."  
  
"But.. I thought Stryx lived to be one hundred at most. That's what Pippen- the half toon- that's what she said." Pidge murmured.  
  
"We are a.. unique case." Yang stated simply.  
  
"We will not reveal our secrets to you or anyone." Yin stated sharply.  
  
"We weren't asking." Oliver snapped back, feathers bristling at Yin's hostility. It was like the Stryx trusted no one, but the other elders of the council.  
  
"With out roots forgotten, and the hatred for humans only nurtured through time, I fear we have failed to see our goal to fruition." Llywelyn stated softly.  
  
"You could not change the minds of the toons alone, Llywelyn." Gwyneth murmured. "The king was a good start... If fate were not so cruel as to spirit him away."  
  
"Before you ask, no. We do not know where he is." Iorwerth stated. "Though we have our suspicions."  
  
"Both he and Keiko vanished so abruptly.. It is troubling." Yang muttered.  
  
"Keiko?" Pidge asked hesitantly.  
  
"His Dracostryx companion. He brought her back from Wyvera with him. He wanted to teach his people not to fear Dracostryx.. But at every step, the Angelic Council and the one for 'Science' undermined him. There existence has been all but scrubbed from the record, replaced with a common owl used for hunting." Yin answered quietly, her dark eyes bitter and sorrowful.  
  
"I heard about that. I didn't know it had a name." Oliver muttered.  
  
"You said you had suspicions, that you fear something that had a hand in the war maybe turning Tunis against itself-." Pidge prompted, stomach dropping. "Is it Malice? The being who takes the form of a Gryph.."  
  
"Malice is but a pawn in it's game." Gwyneth answered. "We will not waste time reiterating everything, as your letter indicates you came seeking the beast and it's purpose in Tunis. I will tell you this however. He is a pawn of the Void, even if he does not believe he is a pawn. He, and his corrupted brood mother, Spite."  
  
That must have been the second Dracostryx they had seen with him. But... "The void?"  
  
"The Void. Once, it was only a place where those to evil to remain a part of the cycle of life was banished but.. It mutated in an unexpected way. A being of terrible power.. Voidric." Gwyneth paused, a shiver passing through all in the room at the name. It held a sense of ominous power to it.  
  
"It is said it was once a powerful being that wanted to be everything, and to feel all possible experiences, and as such delved into dark and terrible magics in search of power. Powers unlike any known to life. Powers of the void itself. It snuffed out many lives in this process, and so disgusted the gods that it was stricken down, and sent to become part of the void, to end their terrible existence." Llywellyn slowly explained. "However, Voidric was not so easy to destroy, and their consciousness persisted within the great dark, harvesting what power it could until it reached the status equivalent to a demigod. Now it seeks to destroy the gods and claim their power and dominion over all things, and to control all beings and absorb their experienced."  
  
"They have inspired many cults, though most are contained in Wyvera and quickly snuffed out by the disgusted locals but.. I fear one has found it's way to Tunis, in the heart of one of the most important Councils.. Maybe more." Iorwerth finished. "Our suspicions are confirmed by the strange corruption those who have fled the council speak of. Something that could truly be called corruption. Bodies warped and ever changing, black as the inky void and flowing like foul water, unable to settle upon a proper form, for beings of the Void have no true form. They forfeit it for power, for the mark of their heretical 'God'."  
  
"I-" Pidge wobbled, dizzy with shock. He had come expecting them to simply point him in the direction of the terrible bird, but instead he had found the root of corruption that plagued so much of Tunis. They had so much information, but the distrust the Councils have tried to push onto the public in regards to Elves, the vicious control of information coming from the Redwoods, the constant harassment.. It all made sense. This information could upend so much of the Council's plans if it ever truly got out. "W-Who among the Council is corrupted? I-Is it e-ev-"  
  
The elders seemed sympathetic, even Gwyneth and Yin. The horror was plain on Pidge's face as he wobbled, Oliver helping him stand up. All this time he had been raised to believe that even despite its flaws the Angelic Council was striving for the betterment and good of Tunis.. So often it was pushed that deep down he had hoped it was just some small cabal within the council manipulating things, but this.. This could be no work of a small group.  
  
"Most of the High Council is believed to be corrupted or going through the process. Angelo Voildrus is believed to be the source, but these are mere theories. We have had very few angels from high standing in the Council who have fled to us for protection, very few who could abandon their loyalties despite their doubts. And those who have doubts but do not flee.. It is but a simple matter to expose them to the void ever more in secret, to slowly corrupt them into accepting Voidric's influence." Iorwerth answered. "We have lost contacts and spies within the ranks of the Angelic Council to such influence, and their letters up to the point of lost contact gives us an idea of what occurred. May Daius burn away the corruption and leave them renewed .. They were some of the bravest among us."  
  
"May Nokt heal their souls wounds and nurture them to full recovery." Gwyneth murmured.  
  
"May Galyx have mercy on their souls." Yin and Yang stated softly together.  
  
"This is.. terrible.." Pidge whispered. "W-We have to tell everyone, we have to warn them! What about the 'blank' angels? What will happen to them-"  
  
"Blank angels?" Iorwerth echoed, paling. "We do not.. We have no information on them. We only know what the refugees have provided.. And we have not had a successful crossing in months."  
  
"They're freaking terrifying is what they are." Oliver declared, rapidly filling the group in. The elder's paled at his words, shaking their head and murmuring among themselves.  
  
"We can not be inactive any longer. This may start a war, but at this point a war would be favorable to allowing Tunis to be consumed by the Void-" Gwyneth stated, staring at Llywellyn.  
  
"I must agree with her. I would prefer a more peaceful path, but if they are abducting toons and wiping their memories to reprogram them to be completely loyal to the Council, they are essentially building the perfect army. This is worse than anything in the old wars-" Iorwerth added.  
  
"We can not attack. Not yet." Llywellyn stated. "We may yet have allies in the Council of Magic, and though they maybe difficult to work with, the Council of Shadows as well."  
  
"Wouldn't the Council of Shadows be down for working with the void? You know, all that darkness and stuff?" Oliver but in.  
  
"Of all the Councils they are the least likely to work with Voidric." He answered. "They prize individuality, and the freedom to do as you wish. Their desires do not coincide with Voidric's desire for control."  
  
"Darkness is not the Void. And the Void is not Darkness." Yang murmured.  
  
"They are _separate_ elements. Darkness can not exist without light, and vice versa. The Void is an element of emptiness, tainted with hatred and violence by years of exposure to Voidric and his ilks collective wills. It is an element that is has no bound form, no solid rules. There are clear boundaries to what darkness and light are able to do. " Yin stated.  
  
"This certainly ain't like what they teach in school.." Oliver muttered.  
  
"Purposefully so." Iorwerth hummed. "The less the common toon understands what the masters are toying with, the easier it is to manipulate them."  
  
"This is.. A lot to take in." Pidge murmured, still wobbling. "I-I came just to f-find Malice and Spite, because we warned of the damage they could cause. I-I didn't expect-"  
  
"I understand." Llywellyn murmured sympathetically. He turned to the first guard Pidge had met, the one with pie cut pupils. "Lyllen. See to it they are provided a place to rest and eat. We will speak on the matter of Spite, and if you still desire to pursue her and her corrupted brood, once you have had time to rest and process everything we have told you."  
  
"I will do as you wish, Grand Elder." Lyllen stated, bowing. The other guards moved apart, seeing the Elders approval of the pair as being safe, some drifting back to their posts. Lyllen carefully put a hand on Pidge's shoulder, helping him to stay upright. "Follow me."  
  
"Yeah.." Pidge mumbled, following him, still shaking from everything he had just learned. The situation, as he understood it, now felt ten times more complex than it had initially felt, and it had initially felt near impossible to deal with. Now.. Now he just needed a nap, and maybe another sip of Dragon's Breath to calm down. Anything to give his mind a brief respite from everything he had been bombarded with.


	21. The crowing detective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
  
Pidge lay in stunned silenced on the bed he had been provided, sipping the shot glass of Dragon's breath Oliver had produced. Turns out the bird had brought a bottle with him just in case, and Pidge was extremely grateful for it. He wasn't a big drinker, but right now he just needed something to help him calm down before he started screaming. The entire council was compromised. The entire council was compromised, and working for a horrific being that called itself a god.  
  
He took another small sip. He was still on his first shot, not intent on developing any big dependence on the liquid in the cup. Instead, he was idly measuring the effects of the drink with each sip, something to help distract his over active mind. It made sense, once Voidric's desires were explained. Control, obedience, everything to be in his command.. Just like everything the Council had slowly been pushing for. Why they were still after humans.. Maybe it was to foster the hate and feed off of it? Who was to say they would be happy to stop with Tunis alone.. The Elders' had said he desired dominion over everything.  
  
How were they to fight such a thing? The Council of Elders had been calm when discussing this, but he felt like screaming in terror and confusion, before lying down and just shutting out the world. A _demigod_ sought to upend all peace, all individuality, and had the power to initially defy the very gods who had struck him down to begin with. How could it have happened? Had the hatred and energy that had been placed in the void reached such a point that when it was banished it could survive? Was it _meant_ to be a god?  
  
Had they been worshiping it, feeding it the energy of their faith? Every prayer, every song to Angelis.. Was it truly for _Voidric_? A simple mask to hide the hateful being that hid behind, delivered by beings of light.. More like delivered by a gaggle of fools, with a small handful actually knowing the truth behind what they taught. Fools slowly corrupted and twisted to match the master's true visage, hiding it for the moment until they reached critical mass..  
  
He wished Oliver were still here. He had taken the bottle with him to ensure Pidge wasn't tempted to imbibe further despite his words, before leaving. With Pidge's OK, he had gone to navigate the tree city and find the Elf who claimed to have a way to track down his distant relatives, a simple spell that would not harm them or require any great effort or magical knowledge. He had let him go of course. He knew how much this meant to him. Oliver had only ever had his parents and the local kids to interact with, unlike most bird-type toons, who were known for large families and close bonds. It was something he craved, no matter how quiet he was about it. Anyone who had known him for a time would have realized his desire to know at least another person in his family, to share a bond with an Uncle, Aunt, or Cousin.  
  
Still the loneliness was starting to get to him. In a way, he felt like Pippen, or at least identified with how she must have felt when she first arrived in Silvi city. Completely out of their depth, cast into a totally foreign world.. Except Pidge was still in Tunis, albeit it a portion of the country he had never been in, and could be considered it's own small county within Tunis. Had it been it's own country before the separation? Is that how they held onto their sovereignty despite technically being in Tunis' boundaries? He had so many questions, far more than he had before, all of them bouncing and pushing around his mind in a demand for attention.  
  
It was overwhelming. Dewey and Pippen had no idea what it was they had sent him to discover. How was he going to get this information back to them? Dewey would be a key contact outside of the Redwood Forest, and help disseminate the warning through the Council of Historical knowledge, that he could be sure of. Dewey only wanted the best for Tunis, and it showed, even when he took a risk with interacting with a human, or partial human. He did not believe the tales they were all told, but it was still a big step into the unknown..  
  
Pippen had spoken of the gods more openly around him and Dewey, in a way that made it feel like it was a common thing. They were deeply intertwined with Wyvera and it's peoples lives, though she had claimed it was too varying degrees for each person. But it was to a degree that was so much more than the false god the Angelic Council had pushed.. Had Tunis and it's citizens once held such a strong belief, only for it to be shaken to it's core by a terrible war..? A war possibly started by the same being chomping at the bit to claim the entire country for it's own now? Surely their rejection of the gods had weakened their influence in this land, cut off from it's primary world. Surely they would not have expected the Toons to abandon the them after a desperate move was taken to preserve their lives.  
  
It was all too complicated for him to say. Could Gods make mistakes? Was this all a mistake? But Pippen had said Galyx saw all through his many starry eyes, had dominion over the universe. Could something really undermine that? Or was this terrible situation part of something bigger, a grand plan of a scale they could not yet grasp? He had been told that was how the third, and most mysterious, of the trio was known to operate..  
  
He swigged the last of his drink, gently setting the shot glass down on a bedside table. The furniture was uniquely made, an artistic touch to each piece of wood that highlighted scenes of nature and creatures with breath taking accuracy. After all, many elves had years to hone their craft, to the point that even simple furniture of cloths were practically a work of art. Elves would frequently undertake professions and put all their heart and effort into it, creating beautiful works like the ones he looked upon now.  
  
Slowly, the angel lay down. Tomorrow he would spend some time among the other refuges, and piece together what information he could gather from them. Part of him hoped that some of the angels he had been closer to that had abruptly vanished may be here, though he didn't hold tightly to that hope. It was more likely the Council had taken care of them, as they had intended to take care of him. It was only sheer luck he had been used for profit, deemed to much of a long term trouble for them to correct with their current methods.. Or at least the methods they had at the time he was sold into demonic hands, passed around until he reached the Devil's Casino.  
  
"Oh, Galyx, what do i do..?" Pidge murmured, surprising himself. He hadn't realized how much of Pippen's talk of the gods had effected him, and how much of himself had come to believe in them. He had seen the strange moths that had guided Glory to him that terrible night as well. He liked to believe he was not a complete fool.  
  
Pidge closed his eyes, pushing away his worries for the moment, letting his exhausted mind and body rest. He had traveled a long, convoluted path to reach this point without being captured and now.. Now he just needed to rest.  
  
  
===========  
  
  
It was a week into Glory's recovery, and they still hadn't worked out how to get Pippen out of the bottle. They had tried removing the cork, which was doable, but there was no way she would fit through the neck, not with her horns. Even then, there was an invisible barrier that stopped her just before she reached the neck, preventing any escape for a demon type who had a different shape from herself.  
  
There had been a day long debate over just shattering the bottle, but Beowulf had absolutely refused. The bottle was magically enchanted, and the only thing keeping Pippen alive despite the lack of fresh air, food, and water. Anything introduced into the bottle simply dissolved into the substance, since a Demonic Tonic's liquid was meant as a catalyst to improve and enhance other potions, using the trapped beings own power to do so. There was no saying what would happen to Pippen without the bottle, and there was also the matter of her current size even if nothing happened to her when the bottle broke. There was no way three sharp beaked birds would be able to handle something so small safely, in the unlikely event she was not harmed.  
  
It had been a frustrating argument, and in the end Sigurd had flown out of the cave to blow off some steam. Beowulf would have liked to follow him, but at least one of the healthy pair were to remain with Glory and Pippen while the Harpia was still recovering. The smaller pair had agreed to this idea given Glory's condition, and Pippen's helplessness.  
  
So he had returned to Pippen's bottle, interacting with her the best he could. She could sort of write things out on the side of the bottle with the liquid before it dripped back down to the bottom, and Beowulf understood Wyvera writing. He was slowly gaining a mastery of Tunis' script as well. It was the only thing Pippen could really offer, showing him which symbol matched with, until he could recite it perfectly through drawing them in the dirt on the ground back to her. Everything else required to long an explanation, to much writing when there wasn't enough space and things could easily get confused. It was clear she was frustrated and miserable, and his heart went out to her. He would despise to be in similar circumstances.  
  
It was the next day that he had made up his mind, turning to Glory and Sigurd early in the morning.  
  
_"I am going to begin my investigation. Glory, you have been healing nicely and so long as you do not overdo it, I do not believe you will reopen your wound. Sigurd, you are in charge of watching over them both. I will return in the afternoon."_ Beowulf declared.  
  
_"No-"_ Glory rumbled, but Beowulf cut him off.  
  
_"We cannot continue to remain static and inactive. We do not have the knowledge necessary to safely free Pippen. And there is still the matter of dispute that lead to you separating from the allies you had made in this land. I want to see for myself if they have fully rejected you and Pippen, or if there is still hope._ " Beowulf calmly declared.  
  
_"Maybe with Dewey, but you will never make it into the city. And those Butcher punks will be looking for us."_ Glory rumbled.  
  
_"Let them come. I do not fear a foolish hatchling, nor the gaggle of thieves he has decided to nest with."_ Beowulf stated. _"If you fear I will lead them back here, than you are sorely mistaken. I will make sure no one stumbles across this cave, as will Sigurd."_  
  
_"Yeah! I'll keep you two safe."_ Sigurd agreed. _"You know we can't stop him once he gets an idea in his head, Glory. Better to just let him leave with a clear head so there's no mistakes."_  
  
_"...Fine."_ Glory rumbled after several minutes. _"Just take care. And.. I want you to.."_ He paused, shaking his head and cutting himself off. He wanted to check on them himself, not send an emissary to confuse and worry them  
  
_"I will."_ Beowulf promised, turning and walking out of the cave. The morning sun was just beginning to peak through the trees, the glow slowly warming the air. He shook his brown feathers, the lighter underside showing better in the sunlight, the clever crow starting to walk towards the city. From what he had been shown by Glory and his stone game, the area they stayed in was to the west of the city, just outside a small town that formed on the edge of the city. He had a good idea of where several key locations were, but first he would check the cave, and try to determine the chick's fate.  
  
He took to the air after he had stretched his legs, the glittering towers of metal visible in the distance. He would play it safe, sticking to the forest and the areas toons would not frequent. Not until he had a reason to risk revealing himself.  
  
When he reached the cave, he found no signs of recent activity, though he found scraps of spat up meat, and a scattering of feathers that must have come from a Stryx chick. The nest was broken however, most likely by accident, the eggshells discarded to one side of the cave, along with the chick's waste. A strange rounded edge box with slightly bloody water in the bottom was pressed to one wall, a forgotten dead fish floating in it. It appeared the chick had been here for several days, before being moved else where..  
  
As he was looking at the nest closer, he found a note speared to a branch, carefully done so as to not damage the message inside. He pulled it off, walking into the sunlight to read it, pressing it flat into the ground with his talons.  
  
**'Pips, we moved the chick to Boris' farm. We had to for it's own well being. Please, meet us there. I want to talk, please. Things were said that shouldn't have been. I just want a chance to talk..'**  
**_-Bendy_**  
  
Beowulf couldn't help a small smile cross his face. It seemed there was hope for Pippen yet. Except.. She was still trapped in a bottle, and he wasn't sure any of the tons present would be able to understand him. Theoretically, he could take one of them back to the cave, but he wasn't sure he would be able to hold their trust that long with just gesturing about like some overgrown dog, and taking off with one of them would start an uproar. He could try communicating through writing, but most people didn't pay attention to shapes in dirt. Not when there was a giant bird around.  
  
After several minutes, he decided to collect some sticks of various sizes, placing them inside his sack for later. With those collected, he flew for the farm, wings beating quietly through the early morning air. He had an idea of where the farm was, and angled towards it, moving with care. The farm was a wide open space, with sheep how may give his position away if he did not take care. He would have to take things as they came and act accordingly..  
  
  
=======  
  
  
Red, as Bendy had named the young Stryx, was slowly becoming more and more active with each day, though his ability to walk and move around was haphazard at best. He mostly dragged himself partially towards Bendy when he arrived on the farm, his excitement kicking up a notch whenever the devil appeared. It was very clear he was the birds favorite, though he hadn't done much to earn that attention. Sure he fed the bird, and pet it some, but he wasn't really sure why they favored him so much.  
  
The bird had been confirmed male by some simple spell work they had shaken out of Dewey, though the encounter hadn't been pleasant. He had been rather harsh on them both for driving the imp away, certain that Glory had enacted their back up plan in case things went south. The news had been disheartening, but Bendy refused to let it get him down, certain Pippen wouldn't abandon them so easily.. Right? They had been living together for months, they had built up such a good relationship...  
  
Outside of word on how to tend to the baby Stryx, advice on how to protect them, and demands for updates, he had been very tight lipped. They hadn't revealed the existence of Pippen's journal to them, and had been careful not to drop any information that would tip him off to it's existence. He had simply stated his business with them was done, outside of check ups on Red, who couldn't be removed from Bendy and Henry without the bird becoming extremely upset. Out of concern for the birds mental health, he had chosen to leave them be for the moment..  
  
At the moment, Bendy was on duty watching over the bird, the chick nuzzling into him. There was no denying how sweet on him the bird was, a bond that seemed to only grow with each day. Honestly, at points it felt like the Stryx was trying to impress him, though there wasn't much a chick could do, outside of waving his wings and bobbing his head in silly ways. Bendy appreciated the effort none the less. It helped distract him from his moping, when it overcame him.  
  
Red was seated in the field, near the sheep pen he had been staying in. Boris had been surprised when they arrived with the massive chick, but he had been willing to lend a hand. So long as the bird didn't attack his sheep, he was fine with letting it reside in the spare pen, which they had added some extra hay to for comfort. For the most part, Red hadn't bothered the sheep, though he seemed curious about them.  
  
He was idly flashing his wings, testing his legs, and looking around at everything. His muscles had been slowly becoming stronger with every day, and it seemed any day he would take off and start walking properly. It was a bit exciting, if Bendy was honest. To see something you had raised begin to take it's first steps.. He was starting to understand what Pippen saw in these birds, even if they were unnervingly large and potentially dangerous. There was so much more to that however, they had a personality, their own sense of being, not just an empty husk of a dangerous predator.  
  
At the moment, the chick was idly peeping to himself, squawking and chirping as he flexed his limbs. A soft shuffling came from behind him, though he didn't turn around. Initially he thought it was Boris, who had a habit of walking up quietly even when behind people. When the wolf didn't appear, he turned around, realizing there was no one behind him.. But an odd stack of sticks.  
  
_'Do you still miss Pippen?'_ The sticks were neatly arranged to spell out the question, constructed of carefully snapped twigs and sticks. He jumped off the fence he had been seated on, running to the sticks. He looked around desperately, trying to find the source of the sticks, though he saw nothing.  
  
"Yes?!" He called to the open air. "Yes, I miss her! Who did this? This isn't funny!" A mixture of frustration and desperation tinged his voice as he looked around desperately.  
  
_'Remain calm. I am a friend'_ A new series of stick declared, sitting just within the field. He could have sworn he hadn't heard or seen anything get by him-  
  
"If you're a friend, than show yourself!" Bendy demanded. He felt a bit crazy shouting into the open air like this, but his emotions were running hot and making him more impulsive.  
  
The sound of a crow's call made him spin once more, the devil stumbling away in alarm. Standing behind him was a Corva, if his knowledge of what he had read in Pippen's book was correct. A simple 'soil' coat, with a light pangare along the undersides. Silky feathers and long trailing tail feathers along it's primary tail. Red-brown eyes watched him calmly, a black mask cover it's eyes and the upper beak, three white dots beneath each eye and a white diamond in the center of his head.  
  
"I-" Bendy paused, staring at him uncertainly. The crow bowed it's head, rapidly pulling sticks from a sack hanging from it's neck, rapidly spelling something out. _'Friend'_. "Are you one of Pippen's birds?"  
  
A nod. Hope sprang into his chest.  
  
"Please, I need to talk to her-"  
  
The bird was rapidly spelling something out. _'Complicated'._  
  
"How- Why? I.. I said something I shouldn't have, but I'm sorry. Please. I just want to talk to her.." Bendy quickly reiterated, desperation in his tone.  
  
The Corva collected his sticks again, spelling something new out. _'Wants to talk. Can't. Trapped. Bottle. Magic."_ He ran out of sticks, huffing in annoyance. His claws dug at the ground, his aggravation clear.  
  
"Magic bottle-" Bendy paused, face paling in horror as realization dawned. "A demonic tonic.. Who- How?"  
  
_'Butchers'_ The Corva spelled out. Bendy's face twisted in fury, his tail lashing. They had attacked her again?! _'Complicated. Back and forth, tick for tack._ '  
  
"I don't care what they think, they're the ones who started it!" Bendy snapped. The Corva actually shrugged. He would have liked to explain the complications of this matter, even though he personally had a vendetta against the Butcher gang as well. Anyone who attacked Pippen, or any member of his flock, was an enemy. He crowed again, flexing his wings before he started writing something out with the sticks.  
  
_'Can take too. Need help freeing.'_ Beowulf wrote, looking up to him, than the chick. He pointed towards him, making it clear he needed to put him away or have someone watch over him. Bendy ran to the chick, starting to corral him back towards the sheep pen, though it was unusually early for him. Henry was waiting by the front of the pen, talking to Betty and Boris, the three looking to him in confusion.  
  
"What's the rush?" Henry asked, concern echoing in his tone. He could see the emotions competing for space on his face. Excitement, fear, uncertainty- Red was squawking in his arms, a heavy weight but not past Bendy's ability to carry. Not yet, though he was rapidly growing to reach that point. One leg dangled free, the bird squawking noisily in excitement as his 'dad' carried him.  
  
"Pippen- Corva- Tonic-" Bendy panted, quickly dropping Red onto his nest. The bird settled down to nap, since that's what he always did after outside time.  
  
"Wait, Pippen's back?" Henry asked, though he didn't think that was the case. Bendy wouldn't have run away from her if she was back.  
  
"No, No, one of her birds came back. Another one. A brown crow." Bendy quickly began to explain. The moment he mentioned the type, the bird came around the corner as well, seeing no point in hiding anymore. The group eyed the newcomer curiously, Boris rubbing his chin in thought. "Wha- Yeah, this one! He was writing on the ground with sticks, Pippen must have been taught him how to do it-"  
  
"Are you Beowulf?" Boris abruptly asked, Bendy pausing in confusion. The Corva looked at him in surprise, before nodding. "So she was talking about her actual birds.."  
  
"Boris, how do you know his name?!" Bendy demanded.  
  
"Oh, well when Pippen would come here to help, she'd talk about her birds sometimes, though she always pretended they were normal birds. She told me about a very smart 'crow' with a unique black mask and white diamond on it's head, who picked up anything she taught him lightning quick. Talked a lot about him and a hawk named Sigurd too. But not many of the others. She was really secretive with me too, it's just she would slip up sometimes." Boris answered, slipping into an reassurement at the end.  
  
He was aware of how sensitive Bendy had been lately about things related to Pippen, particularly things he didn't know. His jealousy towards the situation with Dewey had lightened in wake of the confirmation it had been tricked out of her and she had been trying to formulate a way to tell him everything since they became an item but... He was still a bit sensitive in unexpected ways, and while part of him was sympathetic to Pippen's situation, a small part of him was lashing out in jealousy towards anyone who knew something he didn't, perhaps an unconscious bid to distract himself from his own unresolved guilt.  
  
"I guess being on a farm reminded her of them.." Bendy muttered, his horns twitching in thought. He glanced between Boris and the bird, an idea quickly spawning. "Hey, you can understand feral beasts, right? Find out what happened from him!"  
  
"Sure." Boris hummed, walking up to the bird, waiting for him to speak.  
  
 _"You can understand beast tongue?"_ Beowulf questioned, the wolf nodding. _"Long story short is, Pippen has a magic item- Or rather four of a specific kind of item that allowed her to summon a Stryx no matter where she is. She used two of them to summon Sigurd and myself when they were attacked. From what I was told, the attack and our summoning came after Glory removed her from a situation that had developed between you and them."_ He paused, waiting as Boris translated, making him reiterate himself if he simplified things to much for his tastes.  
 _  
"We were attacked by a gaggle of ruffians known as the 'Butcher Gang' according to Glory, who employed a 'gun' to severely wound him. It is why I waited until today to begin my investigations. I had to wait for him to recover enough to be safe to leave be, given I'm the only one of us available who can treat wounds."_ Beowulf continued. " _It was in the initial attack that Pippen was separated from us. I had to stay behind to tend to Glory's wound, while Sigurd tracked the attackers, as the spell dropped us here at the end of the initial encounter. By the time we reached her, she was bottled, though we gave those ruffians and the idiot Corva roosting with them a beating to remember."_  
  
They listened as Boris and Betty translated, the pair keeping the story coherent between them. Bendy smiled a bit in approval at the mention of the Butcher Gang getting what they deserved, though he sensed this would not be the end of this feud. He knew the gang did not like ending things unless it was with a victory for them. But with these additional Stryx.. They may be a bit safer, so long as they dodged the gun.  
  
"A shame you didn't get his gun from him.." Bendy muttered.  
  
The Corva crowed questioningly, before pulling a metal device from his sack. Henry jumped in alarm, seeing the safety was _off_ , and likely had been off the entire time, quickly grabbing the gun and switching it on, explaining what was wrong with the situation to the bird in no unclear terms. It was a small mercy the gun hadn't accidentally gone off while in the Corva's possession.  
  
"Ha! I bet Charley threw a fit once he realized he forgot his gun. Those things aren't easy to replace to begin with, and it's only gotten harder with the Angelic Council putting the squeeze on everyone in the city." Bendy snickered. Part of him wanted to take the gun, just to have it for gloating rights, but it was the Stryx's prize, and having that on him would lead to a lot of trouble if it was discovered by the wrong people.  
  
"That's good that he's disarmed. Now he will hopefully be less likely to start trouble.." Henry muttered.  
  
"At least that is one less thing for the city to be concerned by." Betty murmured thoughtfully. "Though I doubt it will stop them from roughing up people.. Toons like those won't just change their tune with one lost weapon."  
  
"No, they won't, but it will hamper their operations." Henry offered. "And it will hopefully deter them from attacking Pippen and her flock again."  
  
"Or Red." Betty added, translating for Beowulf.  
  
"Or Red." Henry added.  
  
"Have.. Have we been doing the right thing for him?" Bendy asked after moment. "I.. We've been reading the book we found in her backpack, the one about Stryx.. And maybe a bit of her journal.." He looked away at that, flushing a bit.  
  
Beowulf crowed for several moments, before Betty translated. "He says yes, Red looks healthy and pretty happy, but if he were you he would fess up to reading Pippen's journal right away when you see her again. He understands why you read it, and would have done the same, but he's pretty sure that such a thing isn't very OK among Bipeds like you and Pippen."  
  
"I didn't read a lot.." Bendy mumbled. "Dad and I just read a bit to try and understand if there was another reason why she wouldn't come back.."  
  
The bird crowed again, though it seemed to be a laugh. He quickly went on to reassure the devil. "She likely won't be angry, since it was left behind and so many questions were left in the air. But it will be better to admit to it sooner."  
  
"Yeah.." Bendy muttered, though he still looked nervous. They hadn't split on good terms, and it was clear what he had said, even indirectly, had hurt deeply. He desperately wanted to see her but.. Part of him feared she wouldn't treat him the same. That he had irreparably destroyed their relationship.  
  
Beowulf glanced to the position of the sun in the sky. He had taken his time looking over the cave, and finding his way to the farm, and it was beginning to tip down towards the horizon. He crowed in warning to Betty, who translated for him. "He says he will have to go soon, as he promised to return by the afternoon, or his flock mates will be upset."  
  
"Take me with you!" Bendy demanded. "I need to talk to her today!"  
  
"I want to come as well." Henry requested. "I need to see the seal on the bottle to work out the proper way to break it."  
  
Beowulf paused, before crowing something, Betty once more helpfully translating. "He says he can carry you both, but it will be challenging. Bendy has to sit in the front as the shortest, and once your own he will shift you around to the right spot."  
  
"Alright." Henry agreed, Bendy already clumsily scrambling onto the Crow Dragon, who patiently waited out the devils clumsy grabs and clambering. A sad call from the sheep pen, Red looking up towards Bendy with big eyes.  
  
"We'll be back, Red! Promise!" Bendy called, Henry carefully climbing onto the Corva, letting him crouch and tuck in his wings so he could properly clamber on. With a bit of shifting and shaking, he managed to get the pair balanced across his back and lower neck, starting to walk so they adapted to the sensation and learned how to hold on. After several feet, he started to run, and then finally took off, a yell of surprise escaping Bendy, though he cut it off quickly.  
  
Beowulf took the long path back, avoiding the city and most of the town as they left the farm premises. Boris would look over the chick while they were gone, they had no concerns over that. Flying was a surprisingly exhilarating experience once they got past the initial fear, the Corva keeping things level and calm. There was no saddle, and he was not one for fancy tricks, especially with untethered riders.  
  
Bendy couldn't help but grin a bit as they flew, crossing over the ton and then the forest, the crow dragon flying low. He flew with care, keeping them hidden from plain sight without taking either of them off his back by accident. They passed an abandoned, destroyed building, one the pair recognized as a location popular with the local criminals. It was clear the destruction was recent, and they didn't have to ask who was responsible for destroying it. Beowulf seemed a bit proud as they passed the building, seeing no signs of the Butchers having returned to try and reclaim the location.  
  
From there he took them deep into the wilds, further than most people would go into, his wing beats quiet in the afternoon light. After several minutes of nondescript trees and the like, he curved down an steep incline, the roar of a waterfall greeting their ears. He landed on a path that seemed to lead behind the waterfall, the pair following him as he trotted in, crowing to announce their presence. Their was some shuffling, and the soft call of a hawk, before Beowulf peered back out, gesturing for them to follow.  
  
The cave was fairly well kept compared to most caves, the spare stones and pebbles swept off to the side of the cave out of the way. There were three collections of thick grass, stacked together into makeshift beds, the furthest one in the back occupied by a familiar Harpia, though he couldn't quite managed the full, proud stance he had presented himself with before. Not with the bandage wrapped around his chest from several directions, pinning a thick wad of cloth over the wound that had bit dangerously deep into his form. Dull gold eyes watched them silently, his head bent slightly to hover over a glass tonic bottle, in which a dark liquid sat.  
  
"Pippen!" Bendy called, ignoring the hulking bird, running for the bottle. Glory watched him in surprise, the bold approach a total flip from their previous encounter. He couldn't have moved quickly enough to stop him if he wanted to, not unless he wanted to reopen his wound, or at least cause the pain to return in full force. The devil snatched up the bottle, though he managed to catch himself and move with more care as the liquid inside sloshed around wildly. "Pippen, toots, I'm so sorry!"  
  
Pippen struggled to stay standing after the initial grab, the liquid sloshing around wildly. Bendy cringed as several taps came from the bottle as she was thrown around, carefully balancing it out so things were still. He nervously watched her stand, heart beating fast He hadn't yet seen her expression, her face, how she would respond to _him_. It was a great deal of anxiety that he watched her slowly stand, scrubbing tonic liquid from her face and eyes.  
  
Nervous amber eyes appeared moments later, looking up at him with shock and disbelief, and a small degree of hope. She put a tiny hand to the glass between them, Bendy resting his thumb over the small print. It was the closest they could hope to get with the current situation. He bowed his head, unconsciously pulling the bottle closer as his expression twisted with guilt. If he had been more careful with is words, had dealt with things just a little more carefully, this wouldn't have happened. She would never have been caught by the Butcher gang. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to call you.. That. I didn't mean it at all.."  
  
Pippen blinked, eyes wobbling with tears. He didn't mean it. He hadn't mean to suggest she was a monster. It had all been a misunderstanding. Beowulf wouldn't have brought him here if it wasn't the truth. She could see it in his eyes, the guilt and fear consuming the dark depths. The way he held her so closely, the risk he had taken coming her, to a cave dominated by three Stryx who belonged to her and knew what actions he had taken.  
  
She pressed closer to the glass, looking up to him and nodding a bit. It was the most she could really do right now. It was too unstable for her to write, and there were so any words competing in her head that she couldn't decide _what_ to write. He seemed to understand, eyes widening in surprise, and then relief, tears blossoming in his eyes. He blinked them back, hugging the bottle close.  
  
"We're going to get you out, Dollface." Bendy promised, shaking lightly with relief, determination sparking inside of him once more. Henry approached now that the pair had a chance to talk and settle things, though they would likely need some time together to talk things out once Pippen was free. They had picked up some things from her journal, but like Bendy had said they hadn't read _that_ much of it.  
  
"Hey Pippen." Henry greeted softly. He quickly scribbled down a copy of the seal onto a notepad he kept in his pocket. Pippen looked up to him with uncertain surprise and a sliver of hope. He gave her a small, reassuring smile once the work was done. "We're going to get you out. I just need to check this against a book at home so we can unseal you properly without any harm."  
  
She nodded in understanding, resting fully against the glass now, her expression one of nervous hope. Glory hovered over them silently, watching the pair interact with his rider in silence. They knew her secret but.. They still accepted her.. Still cared for her. He closed his eyes allowing himself to rest for the moment. Despite his misgivings, Pippen was safe with them. He.. He hadn't taken everything from her with his actions.  
  
"I"ll stay here, dad." Bendy offered, looking up to Henry. Glory might have been allowing them to get near her, but he had a feeling he would not be OK with her being moved away from him given the condition they were both in. Beowulf seemed to confirm the matter as he approached, pecking Henry's shoulder gently, offering to carry him once more. Henry understood the offer, nodding in gratitude to him before starting to walk away.  
  
"Just behave." Henry murmured, Bendy managing a wobbling grin in response despite his nerves. He laughed weakly, watching as his father and the bird walk out. For now it was just him, Glory, and the hawk he could only assume was named Sigurd, as mentioned before. Sigurd trotted towards him once the others had left, pecking the bottle and then Bendy, cocking his head.  
  
Pippen shook her head at the Hawk, expressing her disapproval with his carelessness, the hawk squawking and cocking his head, looking up to Glory instead.  
  
_"Is this him?"_ Sigurd asked. _"The one she's been crying about?"_  
  
_"Yes."_ Glory rumbled, the sound making Bendy nervous, but the devil wouldn't be deterred by something so simple. The hawk bounced around him a bit, cocking his head at Bendy, looking him over all over. He leaned close enough to nibble at his horns, a white gloved hand driving him away, the hawk investigating his tail next. In a way, he was very similar to Pippen, and yet different. Glory had said the male was a 'Devil' where Pippen was an 'Imp', though Sigurd didn't really see the difference between other than their sizes, and the fact Pippen had wings.  
  
"He seems nice enough." Sigurd offered. Bendy was busy holding Pippen close, his stance protective despite the fact the birds would protect her sooner than attack her. "I guess. I mean, we just met him." He glanced to Glory, who simply nodded, letting himself rest for the moment, his recovery slow but steady. In another weak, it should be considerably easier to deal with.  
  
"So.. Uh.. You raised these big birds, huh?" Bendy asked, carefully holding up Pippen's tonic glass so they could look at each other. She cocked her head, processing his words for a moment. He remembered how warped some sounds and words were when _he_ was in a Demonic Tonic. It had been years since the childhood incident, but he still remembered it vividly. After a moment he repeated himself, enunciating to be clearer, Pippen smiling and nodding, a bit of pride in her eyes. They were hers, and they were both a pair she had personally raised.  
  
Sigurd squawked very softly, the pair glancing to him, seeing him shuffle impatiently. Bendy eyed him uncertainly, until a squeaking sound caught his attention, his head turning down to face the tonic again.  
  
_'Night is his time.'_ Pippen wrote onto the glass, the liquid slowly dribbling back down the side of the glass. Bendy paused, processing the words. He remembered reading something about Dracostryx each having a natural biorhythm. They could be Diurnal, preferring to be active during the day, Crepuscular, preferring to be active around dawn or dusk, split into strictly crepuscular types, or the 'leaners' as the book had described. The 'leaners' would do as the word suggest, and lean into Diurnal or Nocturnal time frames as well for activity, though at heart they were crepuscular. Than there were Nocturnals, with a bit better night sight and a strong preference for being active at night.  
  
"O-Oh! He's Nocturnal. His eh- His bio thingy... Biorhythm!" Bendy smiled a bit, Pippen looking up to him in surprise, before grinning wide as well, Bendy mirroring the look after a moment. "We found the book you left, the one about Dracostryx! The one with the message from someone named 'Agatha' at the front.."  
  
He paused, eyes darting away as he remembered what he had read inscribed on the inside of the book, for Pippen from 'Agatha'. ' _Our genes determine if we have scale, furs, or skin, our physical colors and attributes, but they do not determine **who** we are. That is for you to decide. Never forget that.' _Pippen rubbed her hand on the glass, her expression shifting to confused concern.  
  
"She.. Left you a really smart message, Pips." He continued, smiling weakly. "I wish I had thought about that before I.." They both looked away for a moment, before a squeak came from the bottle again, Pippen rubbing a damp glove to the glass. He looked down, her eyes glittering with forgiveness, hand pressed to the glass. It was a mistake, but one he regretted, and one she wanted to put in their past. He smiled weakly, gratitude intermingling with his guilt. She pressed her hand more firmly into the glass, looking up to him pleadingly. She didn't want him to beat himself up over his mistakes.  
  
"OK." Bendy laughed weakly, seeing the clear message. "OK. But.. You can't beat yourself up over keeping your secrets anymore. It.. It couldn't be helped. But now we're past it. Agreed?" She paused, before nodding, smiling gently. He smiled back. "Alright. Though.. I wanna ask you about your Ranch-" He paused. "I.. We read some of your journal. W-We didn't until two days after you had been gone, and we only read a little bit because we were trying to understand why you hadn't come back yet and if there was something we were missing and.. We .. I.. We didn't read a lot."  
  
Pippen flushed a bit at the news, but sighed, nodding in understanding. She would have done the same, if their positions were reversed. At least he had fessed up to it, instead of hiding it.  
  
"We really only read a little bit. Just a bit at the beginning to see how long you had it because dad was curious, and then some around the time you arrived in Tunis to find out if anyone else other than the Butcher's would be out to get you." He trailed off, slowly sitting back. He stiffened a bit as he pressed into Glory's side without realizing it, but the Stryx didn't push him away, scarcely moved outside opening an eye to look at him before closing it. Despite the pain induced tension in his form, he was oddly warm and comfortable, the feathers he was pressed into surprisingly soft. He would have expected them to be sharp and hard given how ferocious he was.  
  
Would Red be like this when he grew up? He had only had the chick for a week, but he was already pretty attached to the chick, who was sweetest on him personally. He didn't get the feeling that Red would be very much like Glory. Red was sweet and clever, and while he was protective of Bendy and Henry, he wasn't as overbearing as Glory came off as. Maybe the silver and black silken bird had a reason for why he was the way he was, but Red was not Glory. But he was the same species, which meant he would be _big_. That would require a lot of feeding but.. Glory required a lot of food too, and he hunted for it. They could teach Red how to take care of himself as well.  
  
Bendy closed his eyes a bit, hugging the bottle close to himself, white gloved hands wrapping around it tightly. Glory shifted slightly, moving Bendy closer, Sigurd watching them and cocking his head a bit. He hadn't seen Glory go this soft on people that weren't Pippen, or children. He liked to play like he was all big and scary, an island unto himself, but Sigurd knew he had his weaknesses and soft points. It seemed Bendy might be becoming one of those soft points.  
  
  
=========  
  
  
It was around midnight when Henry and Beowulf finally returned, the pair trotting in quietly. Henry had been forced to buy some magically charged chalk and look into a couple magic sigils to ensure the binding would be broken properly. He wanted to be sure this was done properly to avoid harming Pippen. His research had only proven that the Butcher Gang had refined their methods in the years between Bendy's incident, and now.  
  
That had required a trip to the library, which was nearing closing time but once Henry had revealed it was for Pippen, Dewey had enlisted himself into aiding them. And once he had found out about Beowulf, he had procured the beast tongue charm that he had found on a path that ran perpendicular to Glory's usual flight path. He had assumed, correctly, that it was Glory's lost charm since nether he nor Bendy had seen it on him during their brief encounter. Now it was in Beowulf's possession.  
  
"Well look at that. Glory seems to be letting his guard down a bit. That or your boy will be in for a rude awakening if Glory gets up first." Beowulf mused as they trotted in. His voice was different from Glory's rough baritone. His voice was a bit higher, a bit smoother as well, gentle and calm in tone. Sigurd softly chirped before he continued. "It seems to be the first option, according to Sigurd."  
  
"That's good." Henry murmured simply, smiling a bit. He had read a bit of Pippen's journal, enough to understand that Glory was _very_ attached to Pippen and very protective of her and his flock. If he was accepting Bendy as part of their group, than he would likely not interfere with their relationship without being asked directly or seeing something long the lines of physical or severe emotional abuse from either party. An unlikely development between the pair, but it was the limitations Henry had gleaned from Pippen's own ramblings in the journal. He had focused a lot on the parts where she spoke on her birds, particular Glory, trying to get a feel for the Stryx she had with her.  
  
He slowly walked around the cave, looking for a smooth spot to draw, carrying around an electric lantern he had brought with him. He kept it covered in such a way so as to not wake the sleeping group, and with Sigurd's help managed to find and sweep clear a flat spot. From there he proceeded to draw a circle, doing so with practiced ease. He only needed a small circle, though he had to be precise with the symbols shapes, and the lines he drew to the magically charged items he had brought to help break the spell. He was no great spell caster, but the three items, simple stones with a spell design to break magical bindings. When placed in the proper positions and aligned with the right runes, they could bust most simple to mid-tier spell bindings.  
  
After the first incident with Bendy all those years ago, Henry had learned everything he could to ensure that if this ever happened again, he would not be so helpless to aid his son. Of course, Bendy no longer trusted Edgar after the incident, and had nurtured a strong distrust for the entire gang as well, but there was always the chance they may attack him again. They may see him as an easy target, a demon type less versed in magic than was common for their types, and as someone who a gang member still had some ties to, though they were mostly severed.  
  
Beowulf watched intently as Henry worked, no doubt storing away every tidbit of information he could glean from watching him. Beowulf had been another bird spoken frequently about in the journal, a Corva smarter than was common, with an uncanny ability for _learning_. If there was something he did not know, he wanted to learn it, and would apply every ounce of his wit and intelligence to acquire that knowledge. He was also one of the politer birds, being more 'mild' in temperament than Glory, and the best at balancing out the other four Stryx who commonly traveled with Pippen on tasks across Wyvera.  
  
Once he was certain the spell work was done, he walked slowly to trio, shaking Bendy gently. Pippen was fast asleep, leaning into the side of the bottle closest to Bendy. She barley stirred as the liquid lapped side to side with Henry's gentle touch, though the devil did wake up after a moment. He was reluctant, but as he continued to wake up, he finally passed the tonic bottle to Henry. His father was one of the few people he would let take something so important.  
  
Henry gently took it, walking with care to keep the bottle balanced, the liquid sloshing lightly. Pippen slept through it all, even as they neared the circle. Henry paused, debating on letting her sleep, and waking her up, before deciding to wake her up. If she woke up mid spell, it would only frighten her and serve to upset any emotional trauma lurking beneath the surface from the first spell that trapped her. It had effected Bendy deeply, though he hadn't spoken on it much initially. He didn't doubt it would effect Pippen as well, as it did most demon type toons who experienced this spell.  
  
It took a couple moments, but she finally woke up, Henry smiling down at her weakly, a hand rubbing his stubbled chin. "Hey Pippen. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long, but I wanted to be sure I did this right the first time." He explained, sitting down the tonic in the center of the magic circle. "It will be OK, though. Dewey even helped me check my notes. He sends his best wishes, and he looks forward to talking to you again."  
  
Pippen listened to him intently, smiling weakly at the mention of Dewey. He was a loyal friend, and she was grateful to have met him. Even now, with nothing to really gain, the inkwell was helping her. She nodded in understanding and assent, twitching as the magic circle lit up blue as Henry placed his hands on the ground nearby. It would only require a little of his own internal magic, something most beings, and especially most toons, had in some capacity or another, before the spell stones would activate and do the rest of the work.  
  
The blue light glowed brighter and brighter, bright enough for Glory to wake, and Sigurd to cover his eyes with a wing. A soft _crackle_ of glass breaking, and then the light faded, leaving Pippen standing in the middle of the circle, whole, alive, and back to her proper size. She blinked the lights out of her eyes, still blinking as something solid collided with her. She was nearly knocked off her feet, but Bendy caught her, sweeping her up and holding her close. An avalanche of ' _I'm sorry'_ s and ' _I missed you'_ s escaped him as he nuzzled his forehead into hers.  
  
It only took her a second to hug him back, surprised but delighted and relieved. She nuzzled back, arms wrapping around him as he held her up with surprising ease. She hadn't realized he was this strong. She murmured her own apologies, and her own admissions of missing him, her Stryx watching them curiously, and with a small degree of delight. It was always a good day when one of their flock mates found happiness, be it a winged flock mate or not.  
  
Eventually he set her down, Henry moving in and hugging them both, relieved to have their tiny family back together. It had grown a bit with the additions of Red, and the older three, but it was their family. Pippen hugged him back, crying in relief and joy, pressing into them both. They both hugged her back closely, making it clear that what had happened that night was all a terrible misunderstanding, and mistakes they would not make again.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got half of the next chapter done  
> but ive also just gotten Boris and the Dark survival  
> So next chapter will either be out soon, or at it's regular 2-dayish pace XD


	22. The past, the present, and the uncertain future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> \---
> 
> Forgive the unusual shortness/delay the past couple days have been a bit of a mess, and I rearranged when certain parts were happening so I have to edit some things already written

  
That night Pippen slept in a familiar, warm bed, a firm sense of belonging and safety resting in her chest. Her Stryx had moved to Boris' farm, the wolf permitting it since they were trained not to harm his flock. That was really all he required, and it was clear that having several older Stryx around would be good for the chick. They still left a great deal of the primary care to the humanoids in the group, since it would encourage the chick to continue trusting them. Not that it was a severe concern, given how attached he was to Bendy.  
  
It was quiet in the Stein house, a peaceful, reassuring quiet, and not the quiet of her time in the bottle, with only the dark liquid to accompany her. The bed was softer and more comfortable than she remembered, though it could be in response to all the nights spent with a cold hard glass as her only support. Whatever the reason didn't matter. She was home. Home. That was something she hadn't expected to find in Tunis. The only places she had ever considered home was the Ranch on Sunna, and the Moonli apprentice dorms.. And the later had only felt vaguely like home. But the Stein house felt like home, like the Ranch she had built with Gru.  
  
Pippen blinked as the door cracked open, not moving as soft footsteps approached. She felt a hand on her shoulder, before a familiar form slid into the bed next to her. Bendy gently wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling the back of her head. He didn't get under the covers, but his arms felt as warm as any blanket to her as he sighed, slowly relaxing. Part of him had feared he had dreamed her return, that he would look into the guest room, no, her room, and find it empty. Once he saw her.. Well he couldn't resist the temptation to make sure she was really there.  
  
She relaxed once more, knowing who it was that had entered the room. She didn't know what the future held, but at the least she could be certain that Bendy would stand with her..  
  
  
========  
  
  
It took him a week before Pidge returned to the Elder's Council once more. They didn't push him to speak sooner, and there was a sense of understanding from the elves around him. He wasn't the first angel to come to flee to the Redwoods, seeking answers and refuge. He wasn't the first to be shell shocked by the sheer depth of the corruption they were facing, the truth to all of the manipulative laws and rules they had put into place.  
  
He had spoken with some of the other angels sheltering here. Some were still in a state of shock, though at varying stages, while others were pushing themselves to work and contribute to the Elven society. There skills were no where on par with the refined artistry of the older elves, but they were on par with the younger artisans, and any help was gladly accepted. Every hand counted when it came to keeping the city in balance, and the work allowed them to teach the angels methods of life that would allow them to preserve nature without sacrificing too much of their life comforts. Some things were inevitably lost, and not all took to the lessons as well as others, but their hope was for their ways to bleed into general society, even a little bit. Just like the work the volunteers provided, every bit of change was important.  
  
Some he had recognized as acquaintances, while others were total strangers. There was a sense of community between them however, the community of the abandoned, the forgotten, the spurned and betrayed. Those who had believed in the Angelic Council's early vision, of providing aid to their fellow toons, no matter their type, of spreading peace and encouraging healing and love. Not this strict, harsh, hateful list of rules and commands, where hatred festered and was encouraged.  
  
Pidge wasn't the only one to escape some form of punishment from the Angelic Council. Most spoke of being sent to laboratories that still aligned with the Council of scientific advancement. The mention of it alone was terrifying, as Pidge knew quite well how loose the rules and regulations had become thanks to the new leadership that took over after the king vanished. None of them spoke of the experiments they had seen, the angels they had lost to those experiments, but he could see it in their eyes. Being placed in the hands of a lab that was still in line with the Council of scientific advancement was the same as an angel being dropped into the middle of the underworld with no protection. To put it simply, it never ended well.  
  
Oliver had stayed by his side through most of it. He had his spell, and a spell stone of sorts that was meant to help him track down his nearest blood relatives. He had also collected a fancy book from one of the shops, in the center of which was an elaborate drawing of a tree. There were spaces for little pictures along the tree, and with a bit fo simple magic it could be manipulated to add spaces or branches as needed Once he had enough information together, he could really piece things together. He picked a strange time to start this quest, according to the shop keeper who had sold him the book, but they had wished him the best of luck and offered free repairs if something were to happen to it. After all, family was very important to Elves as well.  
  
Now, as he returned to the Elders to speak about his investigation regarding Spite, Oliver still walked by his side, loyal through and through. He wanted to find the secrets of his family tree, but he could recognize what was most important in the grand scheme of things, and he wasn't going to abandon Pidge at such a critical time. After all, he planned to interact with birds, and while Stryx may not be your common bird, but they were birds in the end, and Oliver had the experience and knowledge of how birds interacted that Pidge lacked.  
  
"Pidge. It is good to see you again." Llywellyn greeted, smiling warmly. Pidge had seen a bit of the elder around the city, but he hadn't approached him, or the other four. He had needed the space to process everything that had been told, and had felt far too overwhelmed to approach them. But now he was ready.  
  
"It is good to see you as well, elders." Pidge greeted politely, nodding to each of them. They nodded back, approving of his respectful approach. "I've come to discuss the matter of Malice and Spite further. I understand that Malice has left the area at the behest of the Angelic Council, but Spite is still in the area, is she not?"  
  
"Yes." Gwyneth answered. "The wretched Gryph and her spawn have taken over a small mountain ridge on the northeast end of the Redwoods. They have made regular incursions into our territories, and taken our people for their food. Our people, and our refugees."  
  
"Spawn? She's had chi-" Pidge questioned.  
  
"They are not chicks." Yin cut in sharply. "Too suggest those monstrosities are Stryx chicks would be an offense unto our species."  
  
"They are more accurately called void spawn." Yang added. "They carry all the marks of those tainted by the void. Inconsistent form, a body like gooey oil.. They can reflect dark colors, but those rarely stay for long. As I stated before, those under the influence of the void do not have stable forms, including those who were born naturally but have taken on the voids influence, be it willingly or forced. It is simply an effect of coming into contact with such an unnatural power."  
  
"That is a risk you will be taking, if you go through with your plan and approach them." Iorwerth warned. "Exposure has a very slow corruption rate, but if you spend too much time among the spawn and Spite, you may find yourself forgetting your proper form. It is only those with a strong will that can maintain a disguise that presents the appearance of themselves pre-void influence. But they can never truly regain what is lost. That is only something the gods could do. To come in contact with the void is to slowly undo everything that makes your individual being, until you have come undone and joined the miasma of the corrupted void that Voidric holds together."  
  
"But they are still here, and they are still harassing your people." Pidge murmured.  
  
"They are not easy to kill." Yin murmured.  
  
"To approach is danger, but to approach is to learn a valuable secret." A deep voice added from behind Pidge. The group looked up in surprise at the strange figure who had appeared, Pidge turning around.  
  
They were a bipedal being, a curving middle and thick fur on the hips, and long thin legs. No arms to speak of, but they have a vague shoulder area, with feathery fur covering the area the arms would begin on most beings. A thick cream ruff of fur around it's neck, a perfectly rounded head with wing like ears covering both sides of their face, ad a strangely shaped mouth, almost like a chesire's grin but with a cleft in the middle. Cape like wings, one on each side, one half like a golden sunrise and the other a deep blue with white star like speckles. The rest of their body was grey, dark grey on the head and legs, and darkest on their feathery ears. Around the fur on it's hips was a curve of color, matching the cape it was on the same side as, a similar mark of color on each middle toe of it's cat like feet. In the center of it's chest was a large cream heart mark, the same shade as the ruff on it's neck, a trail of button like dots going down its form from the bottom of the heart point. Where the heart cut off the shoulders from the rest of the boy it was a lighter grey.  
  
Flapping after it were what could only be described as 'bird hands', the bodies those of small birds, but the head replaced by hands. The long fingers ended in rounded points, the had same deep gray as it's wing ears, while the mid knuckle up matched it's head. On each palm was a clock face, small roman numerals along the out edge. Clock hands appeared in random positions, ticking softly. The bird portions was the same light grey as the host bodies shoulder area, their feathers tipped in cream with a dot atop each end. The left wing on each was edged in gold yellow, while the right was dark blue. Their tail feathers sported similar markings, save for the middle most feather, which was edged in gray. Thin dark legs sprouted from chubby thighs, allowing them to land where ever they pleased.  
  
"Who the heck..?" Oliver muttered, watching the bizarre figure.  
  
"Seer.." Iorwerth murmured.  
  
"What brings you to our humble council, Chronos?" Llywellyn asked respectfully, dipping his head in acknowledgement. The figure walked into the room, it's cape like wings settling behind it as it walked. The massive grin never left it's eyeless face, the figure stopping in the middle of them and bowing.  
  
"We are approaching an interesting delta in the complex river of time, dear Llywellyn." Chronos answered. Pidge stared in shock at the figure that had once appeared before him, at a time that felt so long ago. Before he had confronted the council, before he was punished for his questions. The one who had told him to _'Seek Glory'_. The figure turned to him now, strange smile widening. One of it's hands flew down to rub their chin, as if thoughtful. "And one that once more involves our young carrier pigeon."  
  
"I'm not-" Pidge began, flushing a bit at the name. It was the same name the being had used during their first encounter, and had thrown him so off kilter. A deep chuckle escaped the being, cutting him off. When he had spoken with them, they had spoken with the voice of a female, though it had claimed not to be female or male. Now, in the daylight, it spoke as a male.  
  
"A very interesting time. Which way will you turn this boat, dear Pidge? Which of the many paths before you will you take?" They purred. They were suddenly closer, long legs bringing them next to Pidge in moments. One hand fluttered by his head, petting his head, while the other flew around. "I will give you another tidbit of advice, though this path will be the trickiest to achieve. But I believe you can do it, young Pidge."  
  
"Y-Yeah?" Pidge managed to stutter uneasily. Their odd behavior was throwing him for a loop again, just like their first encounter. They didn't seem to understand personal space that much, or if they did, they did not care for it.  
  
"Oi, oi! Hands off the angel, weirdo." Oliver called up to the tall figure, feathers puffing up in response to the strange being. He got all kinds of weird vibes from him, and though the elders seemed to trust him, ever respect him, Oliver wasn't sure how to feel about him. Especially with all of this weird touchy feely business.  
  
"Forgive them. They like your hair." Chronos chuckled, the hand that was petting his head running it's fingers through his soft hair. The other hand smacked into it, sending the first flying off of his head. "But back to the important point! You seek the one now known as Spite, but once upon a time they were known by another name." They hummed, a frown actually passing over their face. "Truly a pitiful tale, but none were there to see where one being died, and another was born, though the being's life was not lost. Well... No one but _me_."  
  
The smile was back, the being giving a knowing chuckle. A hand returned to Pidge, fluttering in front of him, holding a strange stone. It was a rounded stone, a mimicry of the clock face eyes in the center of each palm. It dropped the stone into his hand, oddly warm.  
  
"Borrow my eye, and perhaps you will see their story as well." Chronos purred. "But only if you search in the right places. I will give you a hint. A strange child resides in the west, near what some call the Sea of Mourning. Find them, and you will find the first piece to our tale, to the most complex path, but the one that is most rewarding. It will be fraught with danger. But you too.. Yes you to have a high chance of success. The right amount of pep and calm, balancing one another. Do not approach Spite until you feel you have seen all the child can offer you... Unless you prefer a different path. I can not decide for you what path to take, though I am eager to see which you choose. We live in a most.. fascinating time."  
  
"Your eye?" Oliver echoed. "Those clock things are your eyes? What kind of wack job thing are you?"  
  
"That is for me to know, and you to wonder about, Olive Oil.~" Chronos purred.  
  
"Heeey-" Oliver began, taking a step towards Chornos, waving a feathered finger. Chronos chuckled with delight, the tiny bob tail on it's rear waving a bit with delight.  
  
"How does this work?" Pidge asked quickly.  
  
"It will glow when you have unlocked the memory." Chronos purred. "The child will show you the path to the memory shards, if you help them. The pieces are scattered where the child was born, but they know where they are, deep down. It will not be an easy process, but it is one you both must traverse. The path is fraught with the spirits of guilt and misery, and they seek to feast further on their emotions of the living, even if it means hiding the truth, for they do not care for the truth, but to fill their own guts."  
  
"Beware them, but do not fear them, for it will only strengthen them. When you encroach upon a shard of memory, they will swarm, for it is a delicious source of energy for them. You will have to best them if you wish to reclaim the past. Strength, wit, haste, or more. Whatever skill you use will be viable, so long as you do not let them overtake you. For every living being is a buffet to a spirit if their being are exposed to them. You will be lost if you do not take care." Chronos warned.  
  
They chuckled. "It will be dangerous, but the reward.. Well.. It will be one you will have to decide the worth of. But it will truly be the most unique and fascinating reward any of these paths will provide. One maybe even you will find solace in, after you see where this path will take you too."  
  
And then he was gone. No goodbyes, no further words. A burst of golden dust, and then he was gone, the dust blowing out of the building on a gust that came from nowhere. As abruptly as they had appeared, they left, returning to their position as a watcher, eager to see where the actors of this complex play would take things.  
  
"Well. That was unexpected." Llywellyn hummed.  
  
"But more fruitful than most visitations from The Seer." Gwyneth murmured, eyeing the stone in Pidge's hand. "Don't lose that. It is not every day they give something to help others. They must really want you to take this path."  
  
"Do they even _want_ anything?" Iorwerth questioned. "Or do they just like seeing all the options laid out on the table and watching which one the person in question takes?"  
  
"Who can say. Chronos reasons are their own." Llywellyn answered. "What I do know is that they have lent you a powerful tool, and one that can likely show you more than just Spite's story if you try.. Though you must take care if you seek to dig deep. Even those with natural inclinations towards seeing the twisting paths of time, and what makes up the past, must beware, for it is a spiritual realm you enter, and their are beings that will prey upon you as easily as they prey upon one another."  
  
"I will keep that in mind.." Pidge murmured, carefully pocketing the artifact. There was a sense of power to it even as it rested in hammerspace, tingling along his spine and through his limbs ever so lightly. He looked up to the Elders, glancing between them. "S-So. Is there any way I could get directions to the Sea of Mourning?"  
  
"Lyllen will guide you there." Llywellyn stated. "The Sea of Mourning is right on the edge of the Redwoods. There is a village there, Seaworth village. It has suffered some angelic incursions in the past, but for the most part it has been safe with the changes in our guard patrols. You must take care however. I would advise wearing your mannish disguise, and saving your Stryx disguise until you are ready to approach Spite. Her spies are everywhere, and we know she does not favor those who willingly work with elves or other humanoid type beings."  
  
"Th-Thank you, Grand Elder." Pidge murmured, bowing his head. "I-I will be ready to go whenever Lyllen is."  
  
"He will come to your accommodations once he has your supplies together. The trip will take you two days at most to reach the village, but Lyllen will see you there safely." The elder murmured. "And Pidge? Which ever path you take is yours to choose, but I wish you a safe journey which ever you choose."  
  
=====  
  
  
Three Tyto Dracostryx silently stood out an outcrop of Sunna Mountain, high above the valley below, one staring out over the valley while the other two watched the first. Snow was scattered around them in piles, but the perch had been cleared once the storm had passed. There was no fear in either of the watcher's eyes, but there was concern in the smaller's . She was very new to the area, and she was still not used to the literal living legends odd habits. She hadn't even expected to meet such a renowned Stryx under such normal circumstances.  
  
_"You've been here for a while, Saturnine."_ The taller of the pair spoke, his blue eyes looking vaguely in the lone Tyto's direction. His pale irises gave away his lack of sight, though it did not stop him from operating in day to day life. He had been taught and raised to embrace the lack of sight and turn it into a strength, and overcome it. He was a simple Tyto, simple feathers, common tail, and a brown coat of feathers, blurred edged splotches covering coating his chest and the upper most portion of the top of his wings.  
  
"I have." Saturnine murmured, her voice gentle and warm. She turned her head towards him, strange eyes meeting his despite his blindness. Her sclera was tan, the iris a shade of tan near white, with small dark pupils. Around her eyes was a complex dark brown marking , a dot of creamy white above each eye, and a line of the same color beneath the mark. Her face was a tan eclipse, edged in tan on the sides of her heart shaped face. Two thick feather tufts sprouted from above each eye, just at the edge of the tan mark, staring at the same color, and transition to the tan that surrounded her eyes. In front of those were a pair of whiskers, one on each side, pointing upwards and ending in fuzzy, moth like endings. "But that is not why you are here, is it, Cecil?"  
  
_"No."_ Cecil admitted, glancing to the Stryx that stood beside him. The second female nervously approached, setting several pieces of dried fish down in front of her. _"Cassia was worried."_   
  
The third Tyto shuffled nervously, quickly backing up back to Cecil's side. She was a unique variety of Dracostryx, one with what was known as a 'velvet' coat. She lacked the feathers around her face that gave most Tytos the illusion of a heart shaped face, revealing the raptor like face all owls had beneath their feathers, the swath of featherless area continuing along her chest, her lower flanks, vent, and legs. The skin was a reddish brown, a nice compliment to her brown coat, marked by a darker underside on her tail feathers and under wings. The end of her tail and wings were marked with a reddish brown hue, fading out along the edges. Along her top side were a blend of light brown markings and dark brown markings.  
  
"Thank you, Cassia." Saturnine murmured, her strange eyes meeting Cassia's nervous green eyes. Velvet Tytos were more common in the southern region of Wyvera, where their lack of feathers helped keep them cool for longer than other Stryx, though they weren't unheard of in the northern areas. The species was part dragon, and Dracostryx as a whole were a hardy species. Cassia's arrival had only occurred in the past couple months, and she was still a bit nervous about her unusual appearance.  
  
_"Y-You're welcome."_ Cassia murmured quickly. Cecil thrummed deep in his throat, pressing his beak into Cassia's side to reassure her. The pair had become fast friends after they had met, and seemed on track for something more. Cassia chirped back, Saturnine smiling a bit around her fish.  
  
The cloudy cream coated owl turned away from the brown pair, staring out over the valley once more. Bars of brown and cream nearing white marked her wings, her secondary tail, and the seraph feathers along her legs, her primary tail a creamy stream of silken feathers. white tick marks ran along her back and flank, as well as her upper wings, glowing lightly against the darker portions of her creamy pelt.  
  
Once more, Saturnine sat and waited, a growing sense of certainty looming. Something was coming. Something she was meant to see. She could sense the tides of fate were shifting strangely, and the moths she had sighted several days prior had filled her with the urge to wait here. There was something coming. Saturnine had lived long enough to know when she felt powers beyond her gently tugging at the mortal realm, guiding it's denizens.  
  
_"What are you waiting for?"_ Cassia abruptly asked. _"A-Are you waiting for Pippen?"_ Cassia had never met Pippen, having arrived on the ranch after her departure, but she had heard a great deal about her. Cecil was primarily one of her Stryx, so she heard a lot of the rider from him but.. Also on the farm in general. The head of the ranch, and another Stryx known as Glory, had gone on a strange mission, one meant to only last a week at most.. But they had not been seen since. Her, and two other Ranch hands, one name Heart, the other named Luke. There was a great deal of whispering about the three and their Stryx, concerned but uncertain what to do.  
  
"I don't believe so." Saturnine answered. "What I saw from the moths.. No. I don't believe it is so." They were strange moths she had seen. The first was an off white cream, a pair of gold dots on it's back, and had collided with a spider web, though it had tried to avoid it. Then several more moths had appeared, snow white but with oddly angular wings, and they had cut away the web, though they had kept the first bound, and flown away with it, dropping the first moth onto a map of the area, right atop Tulli Lake. She knew it was a point of interest, and where Pippen had vanished through to another world.  
  
That was why she waited and watched, her eyes on the distant lake. If anything were to approach or leave it, she would see-  
  
"Cecil." Saturnine abruptly called to the young male, interrupting a bit of soft chatter between the pair, Cassia confused by Saturnine's strangeness. "I need you and Cassia to return to Gru. Warn him to prepare the Ranch's defenses."  
  
_"Why? What do you see?"_ Cecil asked, trying to maintain a polite tone even as the fear seeped in. That was his one weakness. He couldn't see things coming from a distance, and could only hear them from so far.  
  
_"By Nokt's dark feathers, what are those?"_ Cassia whispered, spotting what had Saturnine concerned.  
  
A massive flock of strange beings, sporting wings of all colors but primarily light colors, and human bodies, flew from Tulli lake. It was a strike force of at least twenty in each group, humanoids with light hair and halos, some with nets and magical items of binding, and all baring weapons and armor. They gathered around Tulli only briefly, before striking out to southwards, ignoring the mountains.. For now.  
  
"The Sentinels of Daius have returned to Wyvera, but I fear they do not return to serve their master." Saturnine calmly intoned. She turned to Cassia, meeting the younger's eyes. "Tell him what you have seen, Cassia. Tell them all. See to it everyone on this mountain, Tulli, and every village in between knows that trouble has come to our corner of Wyvera, and tell them the name by which that trouble operates."  
  
_"Y-Yes!"_ Cassia yelped, anxiety written across her face, but she took off in moments, heading higher up the mountain for the Ranch. It would only be moments after she arrived before the controlled chaos of the Ranch would explode into action, Stryx of all stripes sent out to spread the warning, be it with student riders, farm hands, or even the senior hands.  
  
_"What do you intend to do, Saturnine?"_ Cecil asked, listening to Cassia fly away. He would be able to find the way back to the ranch on his own. He was practiced and familiar enough with the mountain to reach it on his own.  
  
"I intend to follow them." Saturnine murmured. For there had been one more moth in the strange scene she had witnessed. One with protruding, feathery whiskers, a creamy coloration, and wings tipped in hues of creamy-white and brown. It had followed the trapped moth, even after the angular moths had appeared, and it had followed them when they were dropped. That was what the master intended for her to do, and she would do it.  
  
_"May Galyx guide your wings, Saturnine."_ Cecil whispered.  
  
"May Galyx watch over us all." Saturnine agreed, taking off  
  
  
=========  
  
  
The weather had taken an unexpected turn halfway through the last leg of their journey, leaving Perci, Alice, and Lumi grounded, the three sheltering at a local inn. The inn owners were quite kind, and didn't give Alice a second look for being a toon. Sulia Village was a village that saw the Ranch members come by to trade goods and buy supplies unavailable on the mountain fairly often, so they had already been thoroughly exposed to a toon named 'Gru', who was the second head of the ranch.  
  
They had been waylaid for several days, but at the end of the week the snowstorms that had rolled down from the north finally lifted, allowing the trio to move on once more. It was unusually harsh for the beginning of winter, but this area was known for being a bit more unpredictable. Once they had decided to leave, the storms had left them far behind, leaving the sky clear and the ground entrenched with snow.  
  
Perci had though ahead and bought them coats earlier in the weak, and once they were met with the severe drop in temperature he had pulled out the set of coats for the both of them. It had been fairly temperature where he lived in Wyvera, but as they moved further north towards the mountains the temperature had slowly dropped. With the arrival of the storm it had only dropped even faster.  
  
"It's a bit nippier than usual for this early in the cold season, but it's probably thanks to that storm system moving through." Perci murmured as they walked outside. Lumi was stamping her feet and flexing her wings to stay warm, an odd 'coat' of sorts attached to her double saddle, wrapping around her form to help keep her warm. It wasn't exactly necessary, given how hardy Stryx were, but Lumi was used to areas that weren't as harsh, and Perci cared a lot for her.  
  
"I imagine the mountain itself will only be colder." Alice murmured with a small resigned smile, stamping her booted feet. Her heels, which she had come into this world wearing, were buried in her bag, long since swapped out for something more viable for the trip. She was grateful she had thought ahead and adapted to the hardier conditions of Wyvera as soon as possible.  
  
"Maybe. Honestly, down here feels similar to how it would typically fell like up in the mountains this time of year. So maybe if we're lucky it will be the same." Perci gave her a bit of a sympathetic smile, Alice managing a smile in turn.  
  
"I just hope it doesn't snow again.." Alice murmured as Lumi crouched, ready to fly.  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time we flew through a storm.. But I don't think it's going to happen again soon. Not unless there's another surprise storm, but the innkeeper thinks it's unlikely, and they're pretty familiar with the area." He offered, helping her onto the Stryx. "We should reach at least the village beneath the ranch before anything serious happens. They know us there, so we'll get easy accommodations if it comes to that."  
  
"That's good." Alice murmured, sliding into the position on the second seat. It was odd riding in an official double saddle after riding in front of Perci for security, but it was more effective and safe. They had managed to get ahold of the saddle before the storm, and was comfortable for both them and Lumi. Once they were both seated, Lumi took off, wings beating against the cold air. Being this close to the dragon bird helped them stay warm, though the cold air still whipped though the radiated heat occasionally. Lumi turned confidently, twisting towards the nearest mountain. It was a only a couple dozen miles until they reached the mountain, something the bird could easily conquer.  
  
They were silent for a time, flying in such a way that they weren't flying directly towards the mountain, but at an angle, flying through the gentler winds of the valley while still closing in on the mountain. Alice was lost in thought, wondering what they would find at the mountain. Perci had mentioned some specific names as to who was at which mountain and the help they would likely receive but.. He had also mentioned there would be many Stryx on both, as well as a wide variety of beings, and it left her distracted and curious to see what they would meet this time.  
  
"Wha..?" Perci mumbled, leaning back a bit in his seat. They were arranged so he was in front of her, able to see everything except directly behind him, where Alice sat. He was looking to their right, away from the mountain, his eyes trying to pick out the strange shapes against the grey sky. There were wings, and mountian, as well as illumination but.. They were too close to be a flock of Stryx, and the only way a Stryx glowed was through an ultra rare marking, or if they were strapped with a light spell or item from a rider.  
  
"Alice, do you see those?" He asked, glancing back to her. The dark haired toon had looked up from her musings, and glanced towards the motion. She stared, eyes widening, before smiling a bit.  
  
"They're angels!" She answered in surprise. "How-? I can't believe it, there's an angelic patrol, and they seem to be heading for us."  
  
"Should we meet them?" Perci asked, Lumi starting to turn slightly towards the strange flock. She was still flying strong, but she could sense the hesitance and overhearing the questions.  
  
Alice paused, considering her options briefly. It surprised her she even paused, but she did, wondering if it was the best move to go to them, on the back of a Harpia with a human.. But she was clearly here willingly. And to be reunited with Toons, or rather return to Tunis. This would be a good point to start and prove that humans were not the danger they had been taught! There was one who had literally gone out of his way to help her! Surely they would see that.  
  
"Yes." She answered, sealing their fate. Lumi turned, flying towards the strange beings now. She moved with confidence, trusting Alice's judgement, the Stryx helping to close the distance between the separate groups.  
  
It was only when there was a short distance between them that they noticed the weapons and armor. Alice didn't call for them to turn away, assuming it was because they were in Wyvera. After all, this place was considered dangerous to toons because it was home to humans. They were just for self defense. The Harpia started to circle downwards, Alice signalling for them to follow, to talk on the ground. A Harpia on the ground would be less dangerous, so they would likely be more at ease to approach  
  
Lumi squawked warningly as they neared a bit more, the angels following them, but not quite. They were keeping their advantageous position above them. She could see nets, and warned Perci, anxiety starting to form in her chest. They were large, unusual nets, and magically charged at that. Alice was passed the warning, but she still didn't call things off. They were too close, and to flee would look suspicious. Surely they would be reasonable. They had to be-  
  
An arrow suddenly pierced Lumi's wing, scoring a hit at the joint, the Harpia screeching in alarm. They started to plummet, the Harpia just able to keep things under control, but the pain in her wing was too much to stay in the air. As they plunged, the angels closed in, one swooping in and snatching Alice off the saddle, cutting through her bindings in several swift motions. She shouted for them to stop, but none of them listened, not even the angel carrying her.  
  
Nets closed in around the pair, the magical nets ensuring they wrapped around Lumi perfectly, trapping the Dracostryx in a screeching bundle. There was confusion and pain in her cry, Alice's heart breaking at the sound. The bird struggled furiously, the net steadily growing tighter and tighter around her, restricting her movements.  
  
"Please, stop!" Alice cried, looking to the angel carrying her. He looked down in confusion, shaking his head. "Please, they were helping me! Stop hurting them!"  
  
"We have orders to take them in. We will find the truth than. We are simply following orders." The angel carrying her relayed in a clipped tone, clearly wanting her to be quiet. They had a simple job, capture a human and 'Dracostryx' for the high council.. The fact that another angel helped them do it made little difference to him.  
  
  
=========  
  
  
High above, hidden against the dark backdrop of the clouds, Saturnine watched, her heart breaking. She _knew_ the Stryx below, she had met Lumi more than once, and to hear the friendly Harpia screeching in pain from an unprovoked attack was distressing. However, given the sheer number of Sentinels present, she knew she couldn't interfere. Not without being captured herself.  
  
So confident were they as they flew that none of the, sentinels, or angels as they now called themselves, bothered to look up. They might have been able to pick her out against the dark clouds, but they did not bother. They had a simple mission, and had achieved it moments after entering enemy territory. Leaving now was the simplest, and most obvious, option.  
  
Below, Lumi had fallen silent, no longer fighting the net. Somehow, they had gotten ahold of the other rider, most likely Perci given it was always him who Lumi allowed to ride him, and were now holding him. His limbs were bond by magic judging by the energy she sensed beneath her, and the glint of a blade held to his throat made the reason for Lumi's compliance clear. She would never do anything to endanger her rider, even if it came at the cost of her own safety.  
  
As the angels ceased circling around the trapped Dracostryx, they set a path back towards the lake, and to the barrier held open for them. Saturnine followed them, keeping pace with them. Snow began to fall as they neared the Lake, making it easier for Saturnine to follow them, the Tyto flying through the snow with practiced ease. She could sense the flock of Sentinels before her, slowly closing in on the small cave, the creamy owl diving low. Her silent wings allowed her to get close, the group of angel several wing beats ahead of her as they reached the cave, completely oblivious to her presence.  
  
They were too busy fitting the trapped Harpia through the cave, most of the group working to lift her properly and thread her through. Once they were organized, they were moving at the same pace, Saturnine allowing herself to drop behind them just a little bit to prevent them from realizing she was there. The storm only grew more fierce as another sudden storm rolled in from the badlands, the wild magic reacting strangely today.  
  
Once they were part of the way through, sliding through the illusionary stone wall, Saturnine followed, gathering the wild magic present in the storm. She slid through the stone illusion, rapidly picking up her pace, a silent prayer passing from her beak. As she streaked through the darkness, she neared a bright light, which was growing brighter and brighter, a powerful barrier, but not one that could stop her.  
  
Saturnine sliced through the angelic barrier like a hot knife through butter, shocking the small group of angels who had remained behind to ensure the barrier was closed again. The edges of the cave were marked with ice in the pattern of a multitude of moths as the light faded away, the angels unable to combat the strange energy that now blessed the cave, stopping them from controlling such an important point.  
  
The few who had wings took off after the strange owl, but she was already far ahead of them, flying fast on the blast of icy wind that had brought her through the cave. She didn't risk loosing her momentum, flying into the land that had forsaken the gods for the first time in her long existence. There were far too many angels here, more having gathered near the barrier to protect it, and now helping to carry the Harpia. She flew away, knowing she would be useless if she was captured. There were allies in this country, ones who needed to know of the toon incursion upon Wyvera, and the repercussions that may likely come..  
  



	23. To flee the blind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
The next morning, Pippen sat at the kitchen table with Henry and Bendy, slowly answering questions. It had been very nice to wake up next to Bendy, the devil curled around her protectively, his warm form reassuring and comforting against her back. It had been reassuring to wake up next to him instead of inside a sloshing tonic bottle.  
  
Pippen was still being a bit evasive about her childhood, but it was primarily surrounding the question of how _she_ lost her parents. When they asked about her father and mother, she easily told them about the human who was her mother, and the tall demon toon that had managed to capture her heart despite her best efforts to remain distant with him.  
  
They had an.. Interesting meeting, with her father nearly being torn apart by the pack of wolf's her mother had been running with after her first husband up and left her and her son. She had turned her back on humans, save her son, and turned to the wilds, teaching the young boy the ways of a beast master, and how to live in the wilds. Then her father had appeared and convinced her to help him reach the city of Sol, instead of letting her wolves eat him... He was surprisingly smooth and polite, and given her curiosity at the sight of a toon in Wyvera.. She had accepted. And then 'things happened', as Pippen put it.  
  
"Things?" Bendy echoed.  
  
"That's what I was always told." Pippen shrugged. "Perci never talked about it when we were kids because it was 'gross' to him, and dad said those details could wait until I was older. I never really cared that much since I thought there would be time later and.." She trailed off, eyes distant for a moment. "I just didn't ask."  
  
"So, you eventually move on and reach a point where you started breeding Dracostryx. Is it hard?" Henry asked, moving on from her childhood to closer to the present. The pain and regret in her eyes was clear, Bendy placing his hand over hers and squeezing gently.  
  
"Yeah. I.. I spent some time as a slave.. It's not legal in Wyvera, but some of the outer lands, particularly in the south, will defy the crown and do what they want. I guess it's the only way I survived, initially. A seven year old doesn't stand much chance on their own." She laughed weakly, turning her hand over to hold Bendy's. He was holding hers tightly, shocked by what had happened to her after she was _separated_ from her parents. "That's where I met Gru. That's how I escaped. I just.. Couldn't stand seeing what they were doing to him and standing by anymore. So we escaped. Gru knew some things I didn't, I knew some things he didn't, and together we survived."  
  
"Gru.. The guy you work with on the ranch, right?" Bendy asked, vaguely remembering seeing him mentioned in her journal. His tail twitched uncertainly, not sure how to feel about this figure in her life yet.  
  
"Yeah. He's a full toon. We're aren't sure where he came from. He just remembers being adopted by an old man and raised by him. If he had a family prior to that and was separated from them, or came to be some other way, we can't say. All I can say for certain is he's like family, a second brother." Pippen murmured, not noticing the relief that briefly passed over Bendy's face. "We've been together through thick and thin, and he's the one who watches over the ranch, and he has as much power as me, technically. We say I'm the head because of my human half deterred trouble in the early days."  
  
"Wyverians are biased against Toons, just like we are biased against humans and other Wyverian species.." Henry murmured, Pippen nodding in confirmation.  
  
"It's a sad state of affairs but.. Once most people actually meet a toon, a normal, good toon and not a criminal, most people realize that toons are as complex as humans." Pippen murmured. "I mean, the majority of them are going by what we were taught. Or they were taught. I.. Obviously had a different upbringing. And when I met Gru he was obviously more proof that Toons are more than just monsters."  
  
"And no that we've met you it's proof that not all humans are bad.." Bendy mumbled.  
  
"Yeah. At their core, most aren't but.. There are those like the butcher gang and worse among humans. It's as complicated as dealing with a toon you don't know. You go in with a grain of salt, yeah? Keep yourself safe, but don't jump to assumptions to fast without reasons to do so." Pippen awkwardly offered, rubbing the back of her head with a free hand. "I mean it's weird. It's second nature to me now since I've always lived it, but I know there are Wyverians who are still wary of toons, and it's the same on both sides."  
  
"We understand." Henry offered, smiling a bit. "It's a bit of a gap to bridge but.. If your mother and father could do it.. If the _King_ and another human could do it.. Maybe there's hope. I'd like to think there is."  
  
"I'd like to think so too." Pippen murmured. She sat quietly for several moments, the group processing everything. "But back to your question early.. Raising Stryx is challenging to a degree I guess.. It really depends on the Stryx. Someone as even tempered as Red wouldn't be a great challenge so long as you know how to train them what not to do and make it clear it's for their own safety. Most understand logic. They're generally very intelligent, though you'll find some that deviate from that a bit.. The hardest part is breeding season. Everyone gets uppity around spring. Hormones and all that."  
  
"I've heard normal bird rearing can be a bit tricky around the breeding season, but I hate to imagine what it's like with birds those size." Henry mused.  
  
"Tricky, but not impossible. We, on the ranch that is, keep track of who is amicable with who, and who is at one anothers throats. Once the season rolls around we keep the lot of them busy restocking our supplies with wide range hunting and scavenging, wear them out so they're to tired to start fights, put the breeders in teams with prospective mates and a pair of handlers to keep things under control in case it turns sour. Just gotta plan it, and be ready for accidents. Have a lot of mash and bandages on hand because it's inevitable someone will get in a squabble." Pippen mused, leaning back in her seat. ".. Breeding season will be coming after the cold season... I'm sure Gru will be able to handle it, but I always feel bad when I miss the holidays before that and when I'm not there to add a helping hand.."  
  
Tunis had been slowly growing colder as well, the cold season approaching surprisingly slowly. Around this time of year back home things would have been already really cold, with everyone preparing for the deep cold that would follow. The harvest season must have already ended. Hopefully this years had gone off without a hitch.  
  
"What kinda holidays?" Bendy asked, tail flicking with curiosity now. He had taught her about Christmas, Halloween, valentines, and other kinds of holidays when it became clear she wasn't familiar with these with wonderful days, back in their early days.  
  
"Oh well.. There's Stryxmas. It's.. Sort of like Christmas and Hanukkah? We spend the coldest month giving a gift to one another everyday, though it's usually useful stuff, especially out in the outer edges. Herbs, metal, hard to find crafting goods, and occasionally small messenger Stryx, like Redfall. That's how we met him. He was a surprise gift last year, from a farmer we work with down the mountain named Mamun. He found the little guy and gave him to Sunna." Pippen answered. Redfall had been hanging out on the farm with his fellow Stryx, ready to report if one of them acted up.  
  
"Then there's the Festival of Frost. We celebrate surviving the cold season, and many people gather around the City of Sol in particular since they have the largest feast, and you can get a glimpse of the king and queen, and their loyal Harpia, Sol. He's.. A difficult bird, but beautiful, and marked with the favor of Daius, a glowing mark along the length of his neck like a streak of sunlight." She sighed.  
  
"Every Festival they set up competitions for the Stryx riders and one of the grand prizes you can select is to pair one of your Stryx with Sol. A lot of breeders try for it, since there's a chance the marking will pass to the children. Everyone hopes for such an incredibly rare blessing on one of their chicks. I'm afraid it's only bloated his ego though..." Pippen trailed off, rolling her eyes. She had clearly met Sol from how she spoke. "I guess it comes with the territory of being the Stryx of royalty."  
  
"You've met the royalty of your country?" Bendy asked, sitting up a bit with curiosity. He had met the King of Tunis once.. Technically. When he was younger, prior to the disappearance, when their school went to a Christmas play in Castle City. The king had been there, and had eagerly mingled with the youth, curious to hear their opinions of things and how they felt as they grew up in the kingdom he tried his hardest to lead down the best path. He had been a rather swell guy in Bendy's opinion without the usual pomp and pompous he would expect from someone of high standing.  
  
"Technically?" Pippen offered. "I mean, I met them briefly, because I had Cecil with me, and when they began the parade to kick off the festival he wandered into their path.." She flushed a bit. "He's usually so good about not wandering into dangerous situations, but he heard something he wasn't familiar with and wandered right into the carriage path. Had to run out there and get him out of the way, and needless to say that's where we ended up with our first meeting, though it wasn't a real meeting. We were invited to talk with them later, and the queen is rather nice, and was very understanding of Cecil's curiosity, and glad we got out of the way quickly.. We had a brief talk, but it was mostly her asking about Sunna and Moonli after she found out we were from there."  
  
She shrugged. "It was nothing big. It felt more like a polite gesture since we crossed paths with them a second time, and Cecil is hard to miss when he's running around in his favorite seasonal coat."  
  
"A bird wearing a coat?" Bendy laughed a bit. "Is there anything your birds can't do?"  
  
"I'd say have common sense, but some of them are fairly bright." Pippen laughed a bit. "But they still do crazy things like smaller birds will sometimes."  
  
"So you just breed them?" Henry asked curiously.  
  
"That, and offer training for riders, help people train their Stryx, offer lodgings for anyone in the area willing to pay, sell some of the younger Stryx to Rookeries and the like, and rent out some of our birds to work. People need guides over the mountains, or just want a bird's eye to help them track down lost good or the like." Pippen hummed.  
  
"It's a full business." Henry murmured, Pippen nodding.  
  
"Do you miss it?" Bendy abruptly asked.  
  
"I- Yeah." Pippen admitted. "I do miss seeing them but.. I traveled a lot, so I am used to not seeing the ranch for periods of time but.. Not being able to return home if I want to is.. Unsettling." She paused again, speaking softly, her own hand squeezing his. "But I find myself pulled between my home there and the one I've found here.. If I could check in on them and still offer help I would be happy but.."  
  
"You can't do that because of the Angelic Council." Bendy murmured, leaning into her. He felt a rush as she admitted to how attached she was to their home, to _them_ , but at the same time he felt pity and guilt. She was caught between the home she had made, and the home she had found, and it was clear leaving her Stryx behind entirely would never be something she was comfortable with. They were too integral to her life, to the life of most Wyverans, for such an idea to be tolerable. He wouldn't make her separate from her birds. Not if he could prevent it.  
  
"Yeah." Pippen sighed. "Gru must be worried sick. He always worried and he was so concerned about me going here.."  
  
"Why didn't Gru come?" Henry asked abruptly, his tone curious. "You said he was a full toon.."  
  
"He.." She paused, looking between them. "Please, keep this between yourselves but.. Gru is a bit afraid to meet other toons. He's scared he won't fit in, that he would be rejected, and then he spirals into his anxiety from just thinking on it and... I couldn't make him do it. Besides, Agatha insisted on it being me. Said it was a big deal given my lineage.."  
  
"Ah. After so long without ever meeting his own kind, I'd imagine it would be a bit difficult.." Henry hummed understandingly.  
  
"I'm happy you came." Bendy chirped, his tail winding around her own, Pippen flushing at his words.  
  
"In all honesty.. I am too, in spite everything I've screwed up on." Pippen murmured, winding her own tail with his.  
  
"How cute." A new voice cut in, a deep males. Pippen stiffened at the voice, whipping around so quickly she nearly dragged Bendy out of his seat by their entwined tails. A figure of grey and cream with cloak like wings, one side gold like the sunrise, the other dark blue of the night sky, stood behind them, Henry jolting in alarm as he noticed him. The Seer was grinning down at them from the opposite side of the kitchen, hands resting on the 'shoulders' of it's cape like wings.  
  
"Hello.~" They purred in the deep male voice they used during the day. Even after years of putting up with the beings presence, she scarcely understood what it was, or why they operated the way they did. All she was certain of was that she did _not_ like them, since they would rarely speak straight forward with her, and knew far more about her than she liked.  
  
"Get Out!" Pippen snapped, the pair of males shocked by her sudden turn into full on aggression. Her body language was tense and irate, her eyes narrowed into a glare. She shifted in such a way that her body was between the toons and the seer, even though she knew they wouldn't attack them. It wasn't his way.  
  
"Ah, but didn't you miss me? Not even a little bit?" Chronos murmured, cocking his head mischievously. They liked visiting Pippen. She always gave the best responses, instead of nervous stunned silence like most beings responded to his strange presence with. He crouched closer, looking over Bendy with his eyeless face, the bird hands aimed towards him so he could get a good look. "Ooooh.~ Find yourself a beau, have you? My, my, aren't you a busy bee, little Pips."  
  
"Don't call me that-"  
  
"Pippen, who is that?" Henry asked, tense as well. All of them were tense now, alarmed by the flip in Pippen's manner.  
  
"The Seer, Chronos." Pippen answered, voice thick with tension. "He's nothing but trouble. Pops on the ranch all the time to stir the pot, spit out vague prophecies and generally enjoy watching people scrabble in confusion. He never comes with good news, only to speak of terrible things." A bit of an exaggeration, but she had so rarely heard anything good from the being that she came to expect only bad news from them. She turned on the seer once more. "Get out of our house, **now**!"  
  
"It won't be your home for long." Chronos warned. Pippen bristled at what she took as a threat, heart pounding with dread. Bendy and Henry jumped in alarm, Bendy taking a defensive stance, unwilling to let anything take Pippen away again.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Pippen snapped, trying to keep her voice down, though it was hard, her blood boiling. "You need to get out of here before I throw you out! You have a lot of nerve coming in here, making threats-"  
  
"But it is not I who is the threat." Chronos purred, leaning back. The smile vanished moments later. "Gather your allies to yourself, little Pips. The angels are coming, and your time of peace is up. Those whose blood are like your fathers will suffer, but you can save a few if you play your cards right."  
  
"Wha- What are you on about? The angels have always been here-" Pippen snapped, fear starting to drip from her voice. Chronos was rarely this direct with her, even though he was still being evasive a bit, as was his way. But he was rarely _this_ direct, usually using more odd riddles and turn of phrases instead of outright statements... And the only time they abandoned this was when the many options of their inactivity was overwhelmingly negative to a significant degree. Behind them, Henry flexed his fists as he stared at the strange being threateningly. He could hear the fear in Pippen's voice, she the tension in her body.  
  
"They are coming. Silvi city is the closest city to Castle city that still resists the Councils influence. That will not do. They come with swarms to overtake what they believe is to be theirs, a swarm of locust descending upon the silver spires. Every moment you wait is a moment you loose, and an ally lost to the swarm. Act quickly and flee. There is no turning this tide. This place is not where you are meant to make your stand." Chronos had lost all joviality to their presence, frowning seriously. Somehow he was even more unnerving than when he had been laughing at their hostility and seemingly not taking anything seriously. "By the gods, you must flee. You have a purpose to play in another place. Only your haste will decide who survives."  
  
The being was smiling once more, though it did not quite return to the joviality he always wore. This was a very recent development, and they were just keeping ahead of it, higher powers nipping at their heels to keep in motion. Time was in flux, more wild and unpredictable than usual, but there were key pieces that could guide them to the best outcome, and he had been sent to preserve one piece.  
  
"What is he babbling about?" Bendy demanded. Pippen had said he was a _seer_ , and was confident about her usage of that word. He could sense her fear in the tension in her rigid body, something he wasn't happy to see have returned. They had been so happy and relaxed.. Why couldn't they have just had a bit more calm time together?  
  
"I speak of your impending fate." Chronos declared, standing tall and looking at Henry as well. "For every moment you wait, another soul may be lost to the angels oncoming onslaught. Act quickly, or you will only have yourself to blame." They were suddenly gone, a burst of golden dust that slid through the eaves of the window and out of sight.  
  
"W-We have to move-" Pippen squeaked, trying to get out of her seat, Bendy holding her still for a moment.  
  
Pippen, what was that crazy thing?!" He demanded.  
  
"What is going on?" Henry demanded as well. "Pippen what is that thing, and how do you know it's not messing with us?"  
  
"He's a seer, I don't know what he is, but his words are true,. I've seen it time and time again. That nuisance is always right, and the fact they're being straight forward with us is _terrifying_. They always speaks in riddles or round about ways unless something is so serious they can't get away with their usual games." She looked up to Bendy and then Henry, eyes wide with alarm, heart beating fast. "We need to move, we need to get everyone together on Boris' farm. It's defendable, it won't draw to much attention, and we can work out a plan from there-"  
  
"On the word of a lunatic?" Bendy questioned uncertainly, raising a brow at her. He glanced back to Henry, who was watching things with a quiet, thoughtful expression.  
  
"The words of a lunatic who is right, Bendy. Listen, I don't trust or like that thing either, but I can't deny what I have seen. That thing will show up on the ranch, spit out some sort of prophecy or warning, and it turns out true. It's never explained what it is or how it does this, but it's _right_ Bendy." She was pleading with him to believe her, wishing the news had come from a more reliable looking source.  
  
"OK." Henry cut in, seeing the fear in both of them, how the situation was escalating and stepping in. "We'll gather everyone on the farm. Listen. I've heard some strange things from Norman recently about Council activity he's heard from a contact in Castle City. That will be enough to get people together to talk about things. We'll work out what to do once we're there.. Just.. Don't mention that thing yet. Not until everyone is together."  
  
"Right." Pippen nodded, heart beating fast. "We should get Sammy Lawrence and Susie- Sammy has demon blood. He'll be a target."  
  
"We can't forget Wally and Norman! They're really useful." Bendy added.  
  
"We'll warn who we can." Henry stated simply.  
  
"If.. If we have to flee the farm I can pull two more Stryx to help but.. After that I have nothing." Pippen warned. "I can get a large bird over here who _will_ be helpful and able to carry a lot, but they have limitations."  
  
"Hold off for now. I hope it doesn't come to that, but.." Henry couldn't swallow the ominous feeling that now loomed over them.  
  
"And Dewey! Someone needs to warn Dewey! I- I don't know if he'll come, but.. He needs to know trouble is coming." Pippen added. He would likely stay for the sake of the library and to protect his documents from Angelic hands.  
  
"We'll get a list together, and work out a route for all of us to take." Henry declared, staying calm for the pairs sake. They would be the primary targets if the Angels really did kick things up a notch, both for their demonic blood and Pippen's human blood.  
  
"Pippen.. Deep breaths. You're going to pass out.." Bendy murmured in concern as he watched herself steadily work herself up with fear. There were so many people to warn, and so little time.  
  
"OK. OK" Pippen murmured, taking several deep breaths as Henry started the list. The fear was palpable between them, but she wasn't going to let it paralyze them. "I'll have to tell Beowulf too. He's going to want to warn his friends.."  
  
  
=======  
  
  
"So, why are we here again, Henry?" Wally Franks questioned, the young man rubbing the back of his head. He was wearing a newsboy cap over his messy brown hair, which tipped a bit as he mused his fingers through his hair. It was his day off, but Henry had insisted the gather at the farm for an announcement of sorts. Some sort of warning. Wally wasn't sure what he was going to present, but he wasn't going to miss out on some choice gossip.  
  
"You'll know in a moment." Henry answered. The younger toon had finally stopped gawking at the massive birds present, which they had quickly filled in the arriving toons that they _were_ Pippen's, they were harmless without provocation, and that they had been hidden out of fear for what the Angelic Council and their Scientific Council lackeys would do to them. That claim was enough to cover things for now, though most of them could sense there was more to this story.  
  
Beowulf was circling the farm, slowly landing with a pair of cup headed toons and a Kettle shaped toon crammed onto his back. The pair were cracked and chipped, but their pieces had been returned to their proper place with a mix of lacquer and gold, leaving golden veins in place of the cracks, a unique marking upon their cups and bodies. The pair were eager to hop off of Beowulf and check on Glory, who the Silken Corva lent the speech charm to so he could reassure them he was doing better despite his injury. Beowulf had given them an abridged version of what had happened after Glory had left, explaining why the Harpia hadn't returned after the devil incident.  
  
"Now?" Wally asked, tapping his foot. Norman had just arrived, the projector headed toon more in the loop than anyone else. He wasn't sure how more of these birds had arrived, but he understood they were with Pippen without being told. Henry had promised to fill him in after the meeting. Right now, he was focused on every scrap of information he had on the Angelic Council and their recent movements. It was worrying when added all together, and depending on what they others could add.. Well, what would come would come.  
  
Sammy Lawrence and Susie Campbell had been the first to arrive, given it was a weekend day, and they both held deep concerns over the angelic council's growing hostility. They were steadily loosing any degree of subtlety to their ways, and it left Sammy very on edge and unable to work on his music. And a Sammy that couldn't work on his music was not a friendly Sammy. The only person dodging his perpetual agitation was Susie, who had put her foot down when it became and made it clear that he would not get away with treating her like an enemy. He had wizened up pretty quickly from there.  
  
Lulu had come as well, surprising the few of the group who were vaguely familiar with her, the Swiss Valais Blacknose a silent figure among the toons. She had come partly Dewey's place and partly for herself, the Ink pot working over time to get out any incriminating and important information out of the library and to a safe place. She was ready to contribute her evidence, and make it clear to this small gathering just what they were facing. Along with her were some other town and city toons, no one Pippen was familiar with, but faces Henry recognized easily after how long he had lived there. Not any he was particularly close to, but they were still his fellow toons.  
  
"I think this is everyone who is going to come.." Henry murmured, walking to the front of the group. He turned to them, gathering their attention. "Alright! Everyone. You know why we're here. We need to discuss the recent going ons with the Angelic Council. This morning an anonymous source that they're preparing to try and take over the city and put it fully under their control, just as Cloud City and Castle City are."  
  
There was some uncertain murmuring between the toons. Norman stepped forward as well. _"I've been getting word from a source in the Angelic Council I've known since childhood that the higher ups have something unpleasant in store for Silvi City. Warned me if we think the patrols are bad, we aren't going to like what is coming, from what he's overheard."_  
  
"Toons of all varieties have been steadily disappearing, and not just from the park market." Lulu chipped in, surprising the group that she was here to contribute, and not just listen. "Criminals, petty crimes, mischief makers. Any excuse they can find, the Angelic Council has been taking in toons, and then they just vanish. Most of you know Fredrick Hops, and have heard how he vanished. His mama hasn't given up on him, and I have reason to believe those Blank Angels we've heard about are toons they're taking from us. I've seen one that was the spitting image of Fredrick and answered to his name, and dozens others that matched missing trouble makers, kids, and the like. I know it's hard to believe, but there's foul business a foot, and if we refuse to face it we risk loosing more people, more lives, to the Angelic Council's empty minded army."  
  
That really caused a stir. They had all the rumors but.. To hear it come from someone as quiet and observant as Lulu added a degree of realism to it that most had tried to ignore.  
  
"They're coming after toons with human blood in them." Boris added, the group turning to the usually quiet wolf in surprise.  
  
"It's true. Every toon's got a chance of having a sliver of human blood in them, though no one is sure why." Betty added, having read such a thing in one of the scientific magazines prior to the King's disappearance, and the sudden turn on humans. "They're going around with tests to find toons with so much as a sliver of human blood, taking them in and seizing their property. My nephew managed to send us a warning, he was forced off his farm with his wife because the Angelic Council was threatening them, upset they weren't able to donate as much as they wanted from them. He was afraid they were going to entrap them, and given what we've heard about these strange, blank angels.."  
  
The crowd murmured and muttered between themselves, weighing the evidence presented. More tidbits were coming forward, of toons who had vanished in connection to the Angelic Council, the resemblance of some blank angels to missing toon posters they had seen, the hostility mounting in the higher ups of the angels despite the lower ranks discomfort. Slowly, more toons were corroborating what was heard, the reality of all these pieces put together weighing more and more on the gathered with each moment.  
  
"We've been seeing more Angels around Inkwell as well." Elder Kettle rumbled, many of the crowd recognizing the former Object Toon Council member. He was well respected, well liked, and well known for his honest and upstanding personality. "They've never wanted much to do with us, even when we asked for help several years prior to push back against The Devil and his accursed casino. They knew that miserable souls were being sold into slavery in that casino and other crimes I dare not speak of in polite company, but they did nothing. Now that The Devil's been weakened, their sniffing around, trying to press their influence in on the island."  
  
"They aren't going as gentle with us as they have been with you city folks either." Mugman added softly.  
  
"They're clamping down on everything, making rules on who can go where and when, and making toons vanish without bothering to try and hide it either." Cuphead added angrily. "They aren't making excuses, they just say it's 'the will of Angelis' and leave with the toons their taking. They tried to take off with Mugman the other day when he went into town, and if it wasn't for Rumor Honeybottoms and her bees, they would have taken off with him!"  
  
Mugman flushed a bit in embarrassment, before nodding quietly. The queen bee, despite the damage done to her business, had been grateful to them for freeing her soul, and had returned their kind act by helping him. She had also been hampering the angels where ever she could, as she didn't appreciate their business on _her_ island. There was only room for one busy bee on Inkwell Isle!  
  
"They wouldn't explain anything. They just said I had to go." Mugman murmured. Behind him, Glory was bristling, his feathers puffing up with anger at the thought of the unprovoked attack that had happened while he was down and out. Beowulf had told him it had been tricky getting near the island, but he hadn't made it clear how complex the situation had become.  
  
"They must think they can get away with it since it's an island.." A toon muttered from the crowd.  
  
"I have relatives there! I need to go-!" Another called, running from the group in alarm.  
  
"Spread the word not to trust the angels!" A third cried after the runner.  
  
"We have to spread the word!" A fourth agreed. They had heard enough information from reliable sources to be on guard. The crowd was rapidly dissipating, not heeding the call to wait. They needed to get the word out _now!_ In the end, all that were left was Sammy, Susie, Norman, Wally, Boris, Betty, and Lulu. The three who called the meeting looked between themselves in concern, as the cups family spoke between themselves, standing near the birds.  
  
Once the crowd was gone, the Elder stepped forward, huffing softly. He looked over the group, than to Henry and his group. "You lot. You need to spread the word beyond Silvi. You have the means to do it with these Stryx." He looked over the four, nodding.  
  
"Good, strong birds. As for the rest of you.." He turned to the remaining group. "If you have demon blood, I advise you flee. Head for the Redwoods. The Angelic Council has no power there, and the elves stand in defiance to their ever growing tyranny. Even if you do not have demon blood, if you have any form of record, it is best to leave. The sooner you are out of the Angel's reach, the safer you will be. The word must get out of this overstep of boundaries."  
  
"What do you plan to do, Old man?" Lulu questioned.  
  
"I must return to Inkwell Isles." The Elder murmured. "I can not abandon the people of the isle. But.." He turned to Henry and the dark toon pair. "I ask that you take my boys with you to the elves."  
  
"Wait, what?!" Cuphead demanded.  
  
The elder shook his head. "Do not give me that tone. You both are primary targets since you had the power to take down the strongest devil in northern Tunis. Their attempt to take Mugman was no accident. It was a purposeful move."  
  
"But what about you?" Mugman murmured.  
  
"They will not care for an old man like me. If they are changing toons to angel types, than they are likely taking the strongest or younger toons they can get their hands on. And I will be able to help hold together what resistance Inkwell still has." The Kettle answered simply.  
  
"I'm not leaving you alone!" Cuphead argued.  
  
"We can't! We're family!" Mugman pleaded.  
  
"We are. And my duty as your guardian is to ensure your safety." The elder murmured gently, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Please. I can not bare the idea of you falling into their hands, turned into mindless servants for the evil they intend for Tunis. The elves will be able to protect you, and give you a means to strike back at the angels, I ma sure."  
  
The cups continued to argue with him, though they were wearing away, seeing his point and unable to defy their elder for long. The last time they had defied him, it had nearly cost them their souls, and they had only gotten out of the situation thanks to the Elder's patient wisdom. If he thought it was best for them to leave.. Than perhaps they should.  
  
"You aren't going back alone, old man." Lulu stated, the three looking up in surprise. "I doubt those birds will be able to get you back to the isles without being seen, and the ferry way is no place for an old man on his own in these times. I'll see you home safe, and work out what to do from there. You're elder will arrive home safely, I promise."  
  
"Really?" Mugman asked.  
  
"You'd do that for us?" Cuphead questioned.  
  
"Yes. I'm not going to leave him to fend for himself, and I'm more than capable of defending myself and another." Lulu stated confidently.  
  
"It will not be an easy task. You will be under heavy scrutiny the moment we arrive back at the isles. I can not promise your safety." The elder murmured.  
  
"I know. And I'm willing to risk that." Lulu answered. "Until Inkwell Isle's is evacuated, I'll stand with you."  
  
"Thank you.." The elder murmured, seeing the defiance and strength in the other adults eyes. She was not one to run, not until everyone else had a chance to escape before her. Her help would be invaluable, and she would not be usable against him like his boys were.  
  
The pair began to walk away from the farm, leaving the rest of the group to debate over their options. Wally wasn't in favor of leaving, as was Sammy, but Susie was arguing it would be best for him to leave, for his own safety. She planned to go with him, after she spread a warning through to the students. Boris was also reluctant to leave, but his concern was for his sheep, a flock too large to move quickly anywhere. Betty was sad to see her home lost for the time being, but was wise enough to know they needed to move to a safer place. If they could find a truck with a pen they could move the sheep.. But that would mean trusting the woods, which the angels controlled.  
  
_"I guess its time to get moving."_ Norman murmured. _"I'll need to pack some things but-"  
_  
He was cut off by a gust of ice cold wind, a creamy form passing over them. The Tyto clumsily landed on the ground in front of them, Pippen running to the familiar figure, shocked by her arrival. She managed to help soften the landing, the massive owl dragon panting with exertion.  
  
"Saturnine!" Pippen cried, shock clear on her face. "How- When- Why-"  
  
"Wyvera has been attacked." Saturnine cut in, her feminine voice clear to all who heard her, words falling from her beak with no charm to aide her. "The former sentinels of Diaus- The ones who call themselves angels. They have attacked Wyvera and taken a Dracostryx and their rider captive. I do not know what purposes they took them for, but Sunna and Moonli are on full alert. I-" She paused for the briefest of moments, before pushing on. "I'm sorry. It was Lumi and Percival. There was nothing I could do. There were too many of them."  
  
Pippen stared at her in shock, even as the toons present began to demand answers about what Wyvera was, and the deal with the talking owl. Somewhere beyond the pair, Henry and Bendy were hastily explaining what Wyvera was, a brief outcry of shock and disbelief coming from the group at word of a country of _humans_. One that was connected to Tunis.  
  
"Why? Why were they there? They live in mid-Wyvera, they would have no reason to be coming near Sunna so early-" Pippen argued, though she knew Saturnine would not lie to her, or speak of things so confidently if she was not certain.  
  
"I- I am not certain." Saturnine admitted. "He had an angel with him, a female with dark hair, a halo, and small horns. No wings, but-"  
  
"Wait, did you say horns?!" Bendy cut in, half listening to Henry calm down the group of toons, who were rapidly simmering down as Henry reminded them who had taught them to fear humans, and _who_ it was that was threatening them now. Some of them were still uncertain, eyeing the birds now, as well as Pippen, the owner of these strange birds. The toon who had the appearance of one, but knew so little.. "Small white-ish hons? Right below the halo?"  
  
"Yes." Saturnine answered. "If I were to make a guess, I would assume the reason they were in the area to bring the Angel toon to Sunna or Moonli to seek aid or protection, given Sunna is friendly towards toons, as is Moonli."  
  
"That means Alice must be back with the Council." Bendy mumbled.  
  
"I.. We can't reach her there, can we? We can't reach any of them. Not with what we are.." Pippen murmured. She was alive, but.. Was she safe? She had been with a human, on a beast that the Council did not trust, and had taken in for who knows what reasons. Pippen was shaking, horrified by all the possibilities that now faced her brother. He had been doing so much better, had been coming out of his shell and interacting with people more, and that change was now biting him in the ass. That change she had encouraged him to undertake.  
  
_"What do you mean by 'Sentinels of Diaus?'_ Norman questioned. She had said it was another name for angels, but he had never heard such a thing.  
  
"It is the title they carried before Tunis and Wyvera were separated." Saturnine answered simply. "Before they turned their backs on the gods. "  
  
"How do you-" Pippen trailed off, shaking her head. There was no point in asking how Saturnine knew this. No one was even sure how old the Tyto was. All they knew for certain was that she was old, and well learned, yet her age did not show. She moved and appeared t be a middle aged Tyto by most estimates. "Are you sure they're the same?"  
  
"Yes. They are unmistakable. They may have abandoned the order of Diaus, but their appearance and inherent abilities still echo with his power. Though I fear, with the path they tread, the last of his influence will be stripped away, and leave them tainted by the forces their leaders toy with." Saturnine answered, slowly standing to her full height. Her presence was oddly soothing despite the news she shared, her eyes kind and patient despite the dread lurking in them. "I can not say for certain what it is they tangle with, I have not gotten close enough to investigate, but I fear it is something dreadful."  
  
The group murmured between themselves as Saturnine recovered, the owl abruptly turning her head towards the west. Her eyes burned as she stood taller, hissing in a very owl like way. That snapped their attention back to them, eyes wide with alarm.  
  
"They are coming. A multitude of angels. I do not know their purpose, but they are coming." Saturnine warned. Sigurd turned to face the direction she looked in, his sharper eyes picking up the glint of metal and light. He screeched a warning, turning back to the group and leaping off of the sheep shed.  
  
"We need to leave. If we stay here, we won't have a chance to leave at any other point." Norman warned. He could see in the distance fairly well, and with each moment they could tell that the group was very large. If they remained, they would be completely helpless. Pippen and her birds had no choice but to flee for their own safety, and without them they would not likely be able to escape as easily as they would with them.  
  
"And how are we going to do that?" Wally demanded. "I'm the first one who would like to get out of here, but we can't outrun angels!"  
  
"But we can out fly them. Can't we?" Norman asked as he turned to Pippen, who was shaking herself from her shock. He was still iffy about her, but if Henry and Bendy still trusted her after everything.. Well, he'd get all the details at some point, and the circumstances were grim.  
  
"Y-Yes but- At most Sigurd, Saturnine, and Beowulf can carry two people. Glory can carry three in a pinch but it would slow him down because he isn't used to carrying more than one- At most they can carry eight- Unless." She pulled her last two magic coins, staring at them. She looked over the entire group, counting them out. Eleven people. With the first bird in mind, she could carry the three left, as well as pick a fourth for defense in case the any angels did near them. "Is everyone coming?"  
  
"No, we though we'd stay and and throw ourselves on the non-existent mercy of the army closing in on us." Sammy drawled, glaring at Pippen. She glared back, tail lashing with disapproval, but she could see everyone was closing in around her, desperate to escape. The group on the horizon was closer now, their armor and size more visible. Their was no denying this was a hostile move closing in on the city.  
  
"It will take them a minute to come through, and to orient them, but they will help." Pippen promised, focusing on the coins. She silently plead that they would come through with their tack, hoping the pair would pick up on the plea before they came through. She threw the coins in the middle of the farm, in the widest open space available, moving them apart for safety. The magic locked in the moment they were thrown, the coins steadily glowing brighter.  
  
She turned to the others as the coins spun on the ground, setting to work on the group present. Sigurd was assigned Cuphead and Mugman, the lightest pair for the smallest bird, while Beowulf was assigned Sammy and Susie, whose easy temper ensuring he would not buck the surly musician.  
  
After speaking with the head of the herd and convincing them to head for safety, Saturnine Saturnine returned for her assignment. She was assigned Wally and Henry, the pair organized so that Henry sat behind Wally, keeping the quietly nervous toon steady. The strange owl was calm, moving to keep the pair stable. Behind them the herd moved with purpose, Boris heart aching for them, but he was reassured that a spell Saturnine had placed on them would help protect them, and that they understood the severity of the situation. They would be able to fend for themselves for the most part.  
  
That left Glory, who Pippen intended to ride with Bendy, and three other passengers. Norman, Boris, and Betty. The three largest and most likely heaviest of the toons present. Behind them, the coins reached their brightest point, spreading out as two forms became apparent, the light fading and leaving the pair, tack on and at the ready, standing before the group.  
  
The first was a Gryph, like they had seen on the television not to long ago, though his deep green eyes were far kinder and friendlier than the beasts they had seen. Standing at roughly thirty three feet in length when upright, the large bird had more than enough strength and size behind to his being to carry the last three passengers. He even had his tack, the belts re-arrangable to ensure the three didn't fall off.  
  
His coat was snow white, save for his underside along his neck, belly, under wings, legs, and along the underside of his primary tail feathers and tail. Covering his flight feathers on both sides, the bottom of his legs, and his secondary tail, were feathers of black, fading into red and white on the edges. The dark feathers were spotted with white speckles of all sizes, like a dark sky, the dark feathers matching his beak and talons.  
  
"This is Star Struck, he'll be carrying you three. I can get the belts rearranged to fit three people instead of just two-" Pippen began, gesturing for the Gryph to crouch, who did, sensing the urgency. He was looking out towards the approaching angels, croaking a vaguely vulture like cry softly. As Pippen spoke, something blue, furry, and with eight legs appeared, jumping from the Gryphs tack and onto her. "It will be totally saAIEEEE-!"  
  
Pippen shrieked as the hunting spider landed on her, the massive furry tarantula the size of a medium dog. It was primarily blue, it's lower legs a deeper shade, a distinct color for a strange spider. It sprang off of her after her shriek, skittering back to Star Struck, who let him climb onto his head. Pippen turned on him, flushing hard, tail sticking straight into the air.  
  
"Why did you bring him?!" Pippen snapped. "This is an emergency, not a hunt! I can't promise Blu's safety-" She snapped, though it was more along the lines that she did not like Blu. The blueberry tarantula loved to mess with her, and if it wasn't for how much Star Struck loved his companion spider, she would have seen to it that they ended up accidentally 'lost'.  
  
"OK. OK. He's not a threat, he's just a jerk." Pippen turned back to the group, though she kept an eye on Blu, who sat on the Gryph's neck. "We'll put him to work later. There's still plenty of room for you three." Betty was already approaching confidently, smiling a bit at the spider's mischief. She easily mounted the Gryph with Pippen's aid, the old wolf petting the spider, who appreciated the attention.  
  
" _And the other one?"_ Norman asked, pointing to the second Dracostryx.  
  
He was a far cry from what they had seen so far, not an avian type but a _bat_. He was tall, around eighteen feet in height with his current position, standing taller than Sigurd, Beowulf, and Saturnine. He was leaned over, his wings draping over the ground to help balance him, his form a strange blend of bat and wolf. He was distinctly bat like, but more muscular, with a thick chest and long, strong legs, and his muzzle was wolf like. The inside of his ears were pink, tipped with black fur, two antlers sprouting from his head, behind and above his eyes, and before his ears.  
  
His body was primarily white, with his upper face an off black in color, pink nose standing in sharp contrast to the fur, his red-brown eyes watching them warily. His underside was a silvery-grey, running across his chest and the underside of his wings, his lower legs, and the underside of the silken trail of tails that stretched out long behind him. His back was marked with a grey blanket, his throat and chin a bluish-grey, nearly split along the neck by a white crescent ring. The massive beast seemed to share traits with the bird's, particularly his silken tail, similar to four out of the other five Stryx save his were of fur, his wing flesh vanishing into the center of the mass, where it ended.  
  
"Skoldolfr is running defense." Pippen answered. "He's a Lycan, one of the Dracostryx bat varieties. Sko-Sko will see to it that any angel that gets to near is ground, right big guy?"  
  
The Lycan's eyes snapped to her, pink nose nervously sniffing. Once he picked up the familiar scent of his long time friend, the nervousness faded, replaced by certainty and determination. He rumbled and growled, a surprisingly wolf like sound, before barking in agreement, showing a blue-black tongue and white fangs.  
  
"Norman, you're next." Pippen called, drawing the projector head toon from watching the bat, who was watching the approaching angels warily. The swarm was uncomfortably close now, their weapons and armor unmistakable from the glints of light coming off of them. If they had delayed their decision to escape, they might not have had the time to escape, but as it stood, they were ready to go. Once Pippen had a nervous Bendy and Red on Glory and strapped down, they group took off, wings working hard and flying the group away from the impending attack.  
  
As expected, a portion of angels broke off to follow them, but the swift flying Lycan dropped any who neared out of the sky, biting and slashing their wings. He had a shocking degree of maneuverability, more so than the angels had expected of the strange beast, or the fleeing toons. The other five flew confidently, Glory in the lead, beating a path away from the city, intending to curve to the east once they had lost most of the angels tailing them. They were clearly well trained, and able to handle the difficult circumstances, even without harnesses for most of their riders, flying through the air while keeping the untrained riders stable.  
  
They could only pull this off for so long, Pippen was sure. An untrained rider could only hold out on their luck without a saddle for so long. They would have to lose their tail and then find a place where they could get some leather and clasps. She wouldn't be able to make _professional_ tier saddles, but she would be able to give them saddles that would hold them safely, and be able to improve them when they took breaks along the travels. They would have to take breaks. The journey ahead of them was too long to risk exhausting the Stryx and leaving themselves at the mercy of the angels.  
  
  
=======  
  
  
Perci groaned in pain as he leaned into the kennel wall, shivering lightly. The lab was kept cold, uncomfortably so, with the scent of bleach and other chemicals lingering in the air. His throat stung where the angel's blade had bit at his flesh, forcing his companions into inaction. Even Alice had been more reluctant to continue shouting at the other angels once she had seen the blade pressed so closely to his throat.  
  
He didn't feel any betrayal, despite what had happened. He had seen the horror and shock in Alice's eyes, had heard her cries. Her optimism had been returned with harsh commands for silence and cold indifference, and her guilt had radiated from her when the pair had managed to briefly make eye contact. Alice had truly believed they would be met with reasonable discussion. He could see in her eyes that this incident was the straw the broke the pack mules back, as the saying went, though he wasn't sure what repercussions there would be.  
  
His clothing was gone, save for his undergarments, which were hard fought for. He had electrical burns on his tan skin for his noncompliance, the 'scientist' and his assistants using strange poles with dark boxes on the end that could produce a line of electricity between two metal pegs. They had stung him with the electrical prods, set to a light level, stinging him multiple times for his noncompliance, and whenever he slowed down, but no amount of pain could get him to remove his final piece of clothing.  
  
Eventually they had decided to stop, the leader, a strange weasel toon with glasses that had a swirly decal over each lens, calling for the assistants, a variety of toons, to stop. He didn't want his first human specimen severely injured, the stubby fingers of his paws tapping together eagerly. No, he needed him whole and in tact for what came next.  
  
From there they had performed a number of tests, some of which he couldn't even begin to fathom the purpose for. They measured his limbs, the size of his joints, took blood samples and skin samples from all over his body, measured his rib cage, prodded his mid section to feel his innards.. At one point they had briefly spoken of dissection, before discarding the idea. He was the first sample, and was assigned to a very important test, one their Angelic backers had _demanded_ they do, or loose their funding. So, they would take what data they could safely remove without severe damage to the subject.  
  
That was all he was now, a subject. Not a human, not a person, not a fellow sapient being deserving of respect they would hope would be given to them if their positions were switched. He was a lab rat, a unique variety, but a lab rat none the less. A lab rat in a cage, nursing numerous wounds and shivering quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment, tired amber eyes shielded from the harsh lights outside his kennel cage. His brown hair was damp with sweat, only helping to chill him further.  
  
Where was Alice? Was she in trouble for working with him, a human, the enemy of Toons? Or was she being congratulated for 'duping' one into complacency? He knew the later was not true, even if the other angels interpreted it as such. He trusted Alice implicitly at this point. It was hard not to, after how long they had been traveling together. Those kind of trips had a way of revealing a beings true heart to their fellow travelers, and he had seen she had a good heart, and was truly a well meaning person. Maybe a bit naive, even after all the rougher experiences on the road, but that might have been caused by her optimism, her belief in a basis of goodness in most beings.  
  
And Lumi.. Oh Lumi. The poor Harpia had been utterly distraught by the sight of her rider endangered, and her being unable to do _anything_ to save him. She had stilled when they were captured, but he could see the pain in her eyes as she watched the angel holding him with razor sharp focus. He didn't doubt she had memorized the facial features of the angel that had held him hostage, and had nurtured a quiet grudge. She may have been kind and sweet, but at heart, she was a Dracostryx, and Dracostryx were not a species to be toyed with, especially when you targeted something of importance to them. Lumi was more than capable of unleashing the full fury her sub-species was infamous for if the situation called for it.  
  
A shadow fell over him, his eyes slowly opening. It was an angel, one that was tall, with sleek golden hair and a healthy skin toon. His halo was brighter than any he had seen so far, lighting up his blue eyes, darkness lurking in their depths despite the light. Six wings were folded around him covering his posh silver and white clothing, Even now his presence was carefully curated, his sleek golden hair too perfect, his wings stiff and his expression eerily calm even as he looked down upon Perci with thinly veiled disgust.  
  
"So. This is one of the oh so mighty humans." The figure slowly declared, his tone calm and slightly disgusted. "So gawky and disproportional. Terribly ugly small eyes, raggedy hair.. And yet these are the beings are forefathers warned us to fear."  
  
"Who are you? Where is Lumi? Wher-" He stopped himself, deciding not to mention Alice. She had alluded to the fact that, despite her loyalty to the council, she was not in good standing with them. All because of her small horns. Such a small, unimportant feature when compared to her personality, her kindness and warmth..  
  
"I am Angelo Voildrus. You will do well to remember my name.. Though I doubt you will remember it for long once the process is complete. No matter. You will relearn it. Your handler will ensure it." Angelo mused, standing so the light from above framed his form. Everything he did felt so purposeful, so choreographed, so... Hollow. Fake. As if her were following a script in his attempt to blind those around him to the truth.  
  
Perci stared up at him, and for a moment the veil of lies was pierced, his heart beating fast. Where a posh, pristine angel had stood, now stood one who was undeniably void-touched, the wings on his left side dark and dripping, constructed of no solid matter but of an ink like substance the dripped and bubbled downwards. They were barely holding a consistent shape, something that could only be connected to Angelo's stubborn will forcing them to conform.  
  
The same could not be said of his face, the left side a dripping mess constantly spilling the void liquid across what had been a handsome face, half of the shape lost in the dripping mass, his left eye glinting red beneath the bubbling substance. As for his left arm, it reflected the void influence in the worst degree, scarcely remaining the precise length or similar form of his healthy right arm. It shifted and twisted before his eyes, one moment ending in a paw, then shortening and ending in a mass of claws, before gliding into a tentacle, and every state in between. It was constantly changing, inconsistent, unable to return to it's proper form and remain in it.  
  
And then it was gone, the disguise secured once more. Angelo stared down at him imperiously, assuming the fear on his face was due to the presence of such a high ranking angel, and the positions they were in. The wretched human was here to pay for the sins of the past, to be the first to transition from the monster he was to something holier, something pure. Something close to perfection.  
  
"I want to leave." Perci demanded, though he knew his words had no strength here. He just couldn't stand being silent anymore, being compliant and letting this void cursed being carry out his plans with no trouble. "I want nothing to do with you, you void touched monster!"  
  
Angelo stiffened at his words, eyes flaring with rage. It was the first emotion other than cool contempt to pass over his face, breaking his carefully maintained composure, and it felt good. The angel stood taller, his shadow casting the human deep into shadow. He did not dare move closer, knowing the danger it would put him in to be in the humans reach. He did not fear him, but he would not permit this figure to make a fool of him in front of his underlings. A bit of the dark presence that had consumed him bled out from around his form, poisoning the air.  
  
Perci was breathing hard, pressed into the back of the kennel, the unnatural presence, the wrongness of the twisted void element the angel commanded, making him feel terribly ill. It felt like everything that made his being was slowly being pried apart, and would be stripped away if the presence grew any stronger. The angel smiled, lifting his head to look down his nose at the human once more.  
  
"I am not the _monster_ here, human. It is _your_ species that started a campaign to destroy our kind. It was _your_ species that banished us to this sub world, hoping we would not survive the chaos and confusion. But survive we did, and your sins were not forgotten. We purged your wretched bestial allies from our skies, not allowing them to torment us further in the wake of your absence." He glared down at him. "But now we are forced to bring one of those monsters back into our lands to learn from them.. To prepare for the coming war. We will not permit you to finish what you began. We will see your corrupted species ended.. And a new order established. One of peace, prosperity, and _perfection_." Angelo declared, his voice strong and confident.  
  
Perci was silent, mind spinning from all the claims dropped by this being. What did he mean 'banish to a sub world?' A purge of bestial allies- Of local Dracostryx? But they were not inherently human allies! They were individuals, allies to whomever earned their loyalty. To slaughter them without hesitance.. It was horrible.  
  
War. He had mentioned war. He fully intended to attack Wyvera, whether those beneath him wanted it or not. Surely not all angels- no, not all _toons_ could desire such a thing. Alice would not have been so eager to learn about Wyvera and humans if she hated them as much as Angelo did. He spoke as if there was a grand conspiracy to finish off toons, when the reality was that the overwhelming Wyverians barely even thought about toons, unless they were presented by one of the rare samples of Wyverian toons. There was no plans to 'finish off' toons..  
  
"What are you talking about?" Perci choked out. The angel glared at him, disapproving his talking back, of his ability to speak at all after such a grand declaration. He should have realized his place by now. "There are no plans for a war. There is no plan to finish what we supposedly began. I don't even know what you are talking about. No common Wyverian would. There is no war coming, unless you go out of your way to start one. Is that what your people truly want?"  
  
"It is not what they want that matters, but what they _need_." Angelo hissed. "This matter must be ended, and it will be ended in the favor of toons." He turned his back to Perci, beginning to pace away. "Your lies will not deter us from ensuring our future of perfection and peace for Tunis.. For the world."  
  
Perci shook his head, feeling ill. The angel was totally deluded, set into his ideas, and determined to see the world 'perfected.' Even when there was no such thing as perfection. At least, perhaps not outside the realm of the gods. And that was just a guess. There was no way of saying what went on within that realm. But even they accepted the imperfections of mortals, and while they punished their misdeeds, they understood their weaknesses and other emotions that plagued the mortal realm. They did not look down upon the mortals for the imperfections.. Not like Angelo, and whatever master he served, be it willingly or while believing he was in charge.  
  
"Please.. Please, stop.. You can still stop this. You're setting your people up for misery if you enter into a war with Wyvera. You will only solidify the hatred between humans and toons if you do this. There's another path. We don't have to hate each other, we can find peace! It won't be easy, but nothing worth doing is easy-!"  
  
Angelo didn't stop, shaking his head. "You simply don't understand. You're too blinded by your own human nature. You will understand soon enough. Once Professor Walnut finishes his calculations, he will help you see the truth." He continued to walk away, his walk as stiff as the set of his wings and hair. Perci watched him walk away, his heart dropping into his stomach, utterly helpless to advert the coming storm.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't said this in a bit, so i'd like to say it now
> 
> Thank you to everyone whose read this crazy au and stuck with it! There's still more to come and every kudo and comment is so greatly appreciated ;w ;
> 
> I've been meaning to get more art into these chapters, but I can only work so fast with drawing aha OTL  
> but im hoping to get some more in, even if its added in later
> 
> I don't know if everyone looks at the info hub I post at the top of each chapter, so ill say it here, if you make fanart and would like it featured in the story just hmu with a comment or on my DA account Tuxedocatstuff and i'll be more than happy to feature it here somewhere in the story!
> 
> \-----
> 
> Also, fun fact, Skoldolfr is the fourth of the official 'Silky Squad'
> 
> Star Struck is the unofficial fifth, unofficial since he has a normal tail (fornowimworkingonsomeingamestuff; ;) )
> 
> Also, for the cup boys, the golden veins they've gained is an actual real thing that can be done to repair ceramics, it's called Kintsugi and it's super cool! I'm hoping to draw the pair with their new look at some point, but my primary focus is writing
> 
> As a final note, since Lycan's are legit a bit weird looking here is a ref to what the body looks like (Courtesy of the official dracostryx group): https://www.deviantart.com/alphastryx/art/Lycan-Template-780332155
> 
> Thank you for your time, and I hope youre all having a great day/night/etc  
> (\\_/)  
> (^_^)  
> (____)0


	24. A fragile hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

Alice silently fumed, though she buried her anger fairly well. It was hard for her to adjust to the stiff procedures of the Angelic Council official offices once more, after so long in the freedom and wilds of Wyvera. She did her best to fit back into the mold that was expected of her, but it chafed her spirit with every moment she forced a false smile on her face. No one would answer her, no matter how hard she pushed, and now she was left in a small room to await a higher up to 'debrief' her.   
  
The door opened, and she turned, ready to chew them out, but balked in fear and shock instead. Standing before her was the head of the high council, Angelo Voildrus, his face a picture of serenity as he smiled gently to her. The toon nervously fell back into her seat, her stomach twisting with uncertainty. She was expecting a higher up, but not someone _this_ important.   
  
"Hello, dear Alice." Angelo greeted, his voice warm. He walked in, gently closing the door, walking towards the table she sat at. The room was nice, an unoccupied office maybe, with cream colored walls and deep blue carpeting. There was a table against a wall, several chairs, and a phone on one of the walls. The high angel took a seat across form her, never loosing his gentle expression. "I've heard you've been through quite an ordeal. A rogue member of the Council of Magic used you for an unapproved test, and dragged you to a terrible world. It must have taken a truly powerful amount of will for you to survive such terrible circumstances.."  
  
"I- I was.. Ozi.. Convinced me he was just a novice. I don't know much about magic, but I wanted to help him because he seemed so nervous and scared. And then we were sent to Wyvera by his magic." Alice began, nervously collaborating his story. The high angel shifted ever so slightly at the name of the other country.   
  
"Wyvera.. We have only heard of it in ancient records. A terrible place dominated by humans and horrible beasts that would rend a toon in two as soon as they would look at them." Angelo murmured.  
  
"The only terrible beast I met there was the toon who came there with me." Alice contradicted, a thrill of nerves darting through her. Before her time in Wyvera, she would never have thought of contradicting any of her higher ups so boldly but.. She had learned the importance of the truth, and of standing your ground. She would not be a tool for more propaganda. "A toon that a _human_ saved me from of their own free will. A human who treated my wounds and cared for me with the utmost respect."  
  
"Did they?" Angelo mused, concern in his eyes. "What else did they do? Did they ask you of Tunis? Pry information from you? You must understand, humans do not do such things for Toons without an ulterior motive-"   
  
"He did it because it was the right thing to do." Alice cut in. Her tone was polite, but strong, with a hint of defiance. He raised a brow, his expression one of disbelief. "He didn't ask me anything about Tunis that I did not ask about Wyvera. If anything, he told me more than I told him, or even asked. He helped me survive, and when we encountered the patrol that took us in, he was trying to get me help. And both he and Lumi were wrongfully attacked and injured for their kindness!" Her voice was raising near the end, but she caught herself, shaking with anger.  
  
"Ms. Alice, you must understand we had to take precautions. Humans have always been a tricky matter to deal with, and our people have a long, difficult history with them. Perhaps you have met a rare _good_ human.. We will work that out soon enough. He is currently being held in one of the Sanctuary's spare rooms for questioning to find what his true motives were." Angelo began.  
  
"And Lumi? Where is she? She is a sweet bird, I swear high angel. She's protective of Perci, but that's because they've been friends for so long. Without provocation she's well behaved and kind-" Alice cut in, despite the social faux pas such an action was.  
  
"The bird is being detained in one of the The Council of Scientific advancement's private aviaries. She is being taken care of, as is the human. They are both being well cared for, I can assure you, dear Alice. Surely you do not think we would do something terrible to them? That is simply not our way." Angelo gently chided, Alice bowing her head a bit as she flushed. She didn't know if she trusted him anymore. She had far too much time to reflect on things in Wyvera to not see that the actions of the Council did not fall in line with the stated goals.  
  
"Anyway, onto a final matter. We have had a chance to review your records, and have realized you have been overlooked for far too long! You should have earned your wings months ago. I understand you have a small problem with corruption, but a recent breakthrough from our allies in the Council of Scientific advancement may present a solution to help you release whatever deeply held negativity it is that causes this affliction." Angelo declared, Alice staring at him with wide eyes.  
  
_'I think they look cute'_ Perci's voice whispered from the past. _'They add character. I don't think it's the sign of a bad person... You aren't a bad person Alice. I don't think it's caused by something being 'wrong' with you...'_  
  
"O-Oh really?" Alice whispered. She had longed for a set of wings, to be able to fly, to be gifted that which she as not born with but.. What he said.. Her 'affliction'. Were her horns really that bad? Pippen and Bendy had horns.. And other toons who weren't demon types. They came with their own challenges, but.. She had grown used to them, to this part of her, that had been part of her for so long..   
  
"Yes! A truly remarkable process. It involves placing the afflicted into a deep sleep, and using this state to find and deal with the deep set anger or pain that has caused the affliction. When you wake up, you will feel totally renewed." Angelo assured, beaming at her.   
  
"T-Truly marvelous." She answered, plastering a smile on her face. "I can't believe what science has discovered.."  
  
"A blend of science and faith has helped us discover this wondrous cure." Angelo purred. "In fact, we could go to them right now! Once your affliction is cleared, we will be able to give you your wings, and return you to your assignment in Silvi City, if you so desire to return there." He stood, offering his hand.  
  
"Oh my, this is happening so fast." Alice quickly answered, flushing nervously. "I-I just need a moment to collect myself in the ladies room, if that's OK."  
  
"Of course! The restroom is down the hall to the right. I'll be waiting in the lobby for you." He hummed, opening the door and leaving.   
  
Alice paced to the door, opening it slowly, glancing side to side. There was no one else, so she quickly slid out, making her way to the restroom to wash her face and work out a plan. She couldn't go through with this. Percival had taught her how to recognize when someone was lying to her, when a deal was too good to be true, and Angelo showed all the signs despite his skill. There was something terribly wrong, she could feel it in the air, could feel it when Angelo neared. She needed to _leave_ , to find shelter.. and then find Perci and Lumi. She couldn't leave them behind.  
  
With a brave face, Alice walked out of the restroom, walking with confidence towards the back entrance of the building, avoiding the lobby entirely. She moved with purpose and confidence, no one questioning if she was meant to be here as she passed them by, exiting the building and walking away into the shadows of Castle City, ready to face whatever may come.   
  
  
=======  
  
  
Pidge walked silently beside Lyllen, Oliver muttering crossly to himself as he stubbed his toes on another stone. 'Birds were not meant for walking. Birds were meant for flying. Birds were meant for the sky.' Lyllen had insisted he stay grounded however, where he could keep track of the pair. Just because the elves dominated the Redwoods, it did not mean the woods were without it's dangers.   
  
They were halfway to Seaworth Village, which they had managed to pry some information out of Lyllen about, when the three of them were in a speaking mood. Oliver was frequently muttering and mumbling to himself, but Lyllen was quiet unless pressed to talk. Pidge was too distracted by the strange stone in his pocket, which pulsed with an unfamiliar energy. It would tingle and burst at odd points, a sense that they were nearing _something_ hitting him, though he had yet to press the group to pursue it. They were meant to go to Seaworth Village and find what the Seer had directed them to. They needed to work quickly, before Spite attacked again.  
  
At least, that was how it felt but.. He couldn't help but feel like he was missing small tidbits with each strange feeling he ignored. He had expressed this to Oliver and Lyllen, and while Lyllen was for remaining on the path, Oliver wanted to see what the strange sensations would lead them too. Who was to say the only thing the seer intended them to see was in Seaworth Village? It had said the memories were _scattered_ around Seaworth Village, but not how far out they were.   
  
The angel stopped as another strange sensation hit him, the pair looking to him. Lyllen shook his head in disapproval, eyes darkening. The direction the angel had turned to was the sight of a battle, one he did not want viewed by non-elves. The sound defeat they had faced was a blemish upon their pride as it was without it being spread around. If the seer did not have that incident in it's memory, than he would not let them use Percival to collect it.  
  
"Lyllen-" Pidge began, his toon half annoyed, and half pleading.   
  
"No. Anywhere but there Pidge. I will let you take us off the trail for any other memory fragment but there." He answered brusquely. The pair of toons glanced to one another, before looking up to him and nodding. They could see this was something important to the elves, and it wouldn't be wise to upset them. Pidge sighed, the three continuing onward, leaving the forgotten battle field behind.  
  
The trio continued forward, Oliver muttering irritably at the endless amount of Redwood trees. The scenery scarcely changed, the red brown dirt beneath them not showing signs of frequent travel, the vegetation lush and a deep green in spite of the approach of winter. The air was cool, and growing cooler with each day, but had yet to reach the point where it could snow. The three of them had on heavier traveling clothing in preparation, ready for when the temperature finally dropped.   
  
It was an hour later when they sensed something, the faintest echo of something foul. Lyllen forced them to hide, slowly tracing the source of the sensation. He vanished briefly up a tree, climbing as easily as a squirrel, before reappearing moments later. He was holding a long flight feather, longer than his forearm, with a long tip of red that came to a jagged edge where it met the black of the feather's body. A faint glow surrounded it, a cleansing spell placed upon it by Lyllen before he dare to touch it.   
  
"Holy crumpets, look at the size of that!" Oliver gaped. He had seen the massive birds on the TV like most other toons, Gryphs Pidge had told him they were called, but to see a feather in real life.. It was a totally different thing, and really brought home how big they were. There was no saying which flight feather it was, but the feather was long, an indication it was meant to help lift something larger than any bird Oliver had ever seen.   
  
"This is a feather from the beast known as Malice." Lyllen announced confidently, Oliver gaping wider. Pidge shivered, even as the foul aura faded. It was clear from the slight strain showing on Lyllen's face that he had used a great deal of magic to create a powerful cleansing spell, and the fact it took so much for a single feather was unnerving. It had been purged of it's void influence now, making it safe to be near, but if a single shed feather required so much work..  
  
Pidge paused, a tingle running up his spine. He unconsciously reached into his pocket, pulling the Seer's eye from his pocket, the stone pulsing lightly. It was radiating a blend of red and white light, growing brighter as the feather was brought closer. And then-  
  
_-tumbled down, scattering across the cave's floor, the stones bouncing off of them as well. The monstrous Gryph they had fled was bringing it's full weight to bare onto the stone above them, threatening the structure. It was clear it's weight was causing the cave to crumple, and they needed to act before they were buried alive!  
  
Her left hand burned, the fingers mangled, save for her pinky. Instead, it was little more than a bleeding stub, spurts of hot blood still escaping it occasionally. She had torn her shirt to wrap the wound, binding her hand the best she could with only one hand, and with Cecil's helping to hold parts of the binding with his beak, but outside of that there was nothing she could do for it now. It would be a miracle if it wasn't lost entirely-  
_  
The angel gasped, stumbling back. The light stopped pulsing entirely, the feather sitting still in Lyllen's hand, the elf staring in shock as well. Oliver was blinking slowly, but finally shook off his surprise to speak.   
  
"Did you see that too?!" He demanded. "And hear that? It was like someone was in my head, narratin' everything! They had a hand, a mannish hand with five fingers- Or at least it was supposed to have five fingers-  
  
"I think.. That may have been one of Malice's past victims.." Lyllen stated slowly, bowing his head in respect. To have invaded on someone's final moments, laced with terror and uncertainty.. It felt so wrong.  
  
"No." Pidge murmured, the other two looking to him. He shook his head. "No. Not a victim. A survivor. That voice- That was _Pippen's_ voice. She told me that she and her first Stryx, Cecil, survived their encounter with Malice, and even took him down by 'sheer luck'."  
  
"If she downed the beast once before, even by luck, than there is something to be gleaned from her experience." Lyllen rumbled. It still felt strange and invasive to peer into a moment of such high tension and fear, but.. He felt a bit better knowing this was not the person in questions last moments. "If we can find more pieces that can unlock that memory, it will be worth our time."  
  
"And how we gonna do that? We didn't even know that feather was gonna do anything!" Oliver countered, standing up a bit and puffing out his feathers, shaking himself as he let them fall back down. The residual terror from the memory they had lived through had shaken him, and yet it hadn't hit him fully...  
  
He could have sworn he felt his spell stone, the one given to him to track down his family, vibrate in his pocket, but now it was still. There was no way someone could have passed out of range of the spell so quickly. It must have been the echo of the vibrating cave. It was the only way he could explain the sensation.   
  
"This is not the only feather that beast has left behind. During it's campaign of terror, it left much of it's self behind, though no amount of damage done ever ended the beast.. It's evil aura wouldn't allow us to do any real damage to it. Only small chips and dents to it's form before the aura would come up.." Lyllen rumbled.   
  
"Evil aura?" Pidge echoed. Pippen hadn't mentioned an evil aura, and it sounded like something of importance. Something one did not simply leave out of a description of a terrible enemy. Unless it was new. Unless he was adapting. ".. I think we should try and get ahold of more pieces of Malice. Even if it doesn't show us the rest of Pippen's memory.. It might show us how to get around his defenses."  
  
"I agree. I will speak with the Elders of Seaworth Village while you attend to the task the Seer has given you. With their help, we will be able to gather the pieces we have to the village so we can see what they unlock. It will be tricky.. From what I have heard in reports, they must be kept separate, as they attract Malice's spawn, even when they have been purged of their void taint.." Lyllen murmured, turning to continue down the path. He didn't place the feather in his pocket, not daring to have such a thing so close to his being, holding it out to his side a bit as they walked.   
  
"Well ain't this just a barrel of fun. Can't wait to meet the kiddies." Oliver muttered darkly, running his beak over his feathers to try and settle them back into their proper place. He dutifully trotted after the pair, the three once more falling into silence as they walked, lost in their own thoughts.  
  
  
========  
  
  
It was late in the day when they finally landed, Skoldolfr flying beneath the unsaddled riders for as long as he could as they descended one by one. He was there to catch any of the exhausted riders who fell off of their Stryx, knowing all but Pippen had no experience with riding of any sort. They were landing in a clearing, deep within a forest far from the city, farther than most of them had ever gone into the woods.  
  
Star Struck and Glory landed easily, their riders in saddles, making it easy to land. Pippen was quick to help Bendy off, helping the stiff legged devil to a log to sit down. Once he was seated, she started to work on everyone else, the smaller Stryx landing by the log and crouching so their riders could descend. Sammy was cussing up a storm under his breath as he slid off of Beowulf. Cuphead and Mugman were quietly laughing and gaping at him respectively as they disembarked, less stiff than the others thanks to their time riding Glory.   
  
Saturnine busied herself checking over the inexperienced riders while Pippen helped the trio of toons off of Star Struck's back. Blu was running around the camp, digging up nuts and berries and dragging them back to the camp site, while Red, once he was off of Star Struck's back, stared at Bendy, wishing he could walk. He could see his papa was hurting, and he desperately wanted to go to him, but the best he could do was sit and wave his wings a bit.  
  
That is, until Glory helped move him, Beowulf helping to shove Red onto the larger Harpia's back. He walked Red to the impromptu camp site once he was stable, letting the smaller safely slide along his wing to get off his back. Red pressed worriedly into Bendy once he was down, chirping softly with hunger and concern.   
  
The group of Stryx closed in around the toons protectively once everyone had disembarked, Star Struck stretching a massive wing over them to provide some shelter and a bit of warmth. After a bit of chatter between themselves, Beowulf and Saturnine departed, intent on finding some food for the toons. If they found something that resources could be gathered from, they could bring back the toons once they had recovered. But for now they needed to locate those resources so they could lead them to it.   
  
Pippen quietly sat down next to Bendy, the devil pressing into her, their hands sliding into one another. A bit of the stress they both felt melted away a bit with the simple reassurement the other brought, tired, stressed eyes looking to one another. Neither were entirely sure what to do now, but at least they had each other.  
  
_"We're going to need supplies."_ Norman cut in after a moment, the projector on his head chugging softly to reflect his pain. _"Backpacks, food, water bottles, and I'm going to assume leather so you can make saddles. I don't think we can risk going long without proper saddles for everyone, can we?"_  
  
"No, it was risky flying this far without a saddle for so many untrained riders.. If we can get ahold of some leather, I can make some simple saddles. Nothing fancy, but they will be effective and keep everyone from falling. It will make it easier on the Stryx too, since they're be able to maneuver more without worrying about throwing someone off." Pippen agreed.  
  
"You rode without a saddle this entire time.." Bendy muttered to her in concern.  
  
"I've been riding Stryx for eleven years. That and I know Glory and how he moves. I can ride without a saddle safely, even on Stryx I don't know" Pippen reassured, squeezing his hand. She leaned closer to him, the devil returning the gesture, their heads touching after a moment.  
  
"There's a small town, about three miles from here, I think." Betty offered. "It's been a while since I've hiked this far, but I know they are an old hunter's community. They're bound to have leather a plenty, though it may cost a bit."   
  
"We could send a portion of our group there for supplies." Henry offered. "Betty, do you know anyone in town?"  
  
"I did know a couple folk there, assuming they haven't moved or passed on." Betty hummed. "I'm sure I could talk them in to giving us a bit of a discount, if we're lucky."  
  
"You can borrow Sigurd." Pippen offered. "He can help carry what you get and keep you safe in case of trouble. And this-" She dug around in her pocket, offering a golden token, one of the few tidbits of Wyverian currency she had left. She handed it to Henry, the male staring in amazement at the solid good coin. The markings of Wyvera had been mostly scraped off, but they were still a bit visible in places.   
  
"Is that gold? Are you loaded?" Wally gaped. "What are you going to pull out next, a solid gold sword?"  
  
"It's.. Common currency from where I come from." Pippen offered. "We don't have the weird paper currency and cheap metal coins like Tunis." She shrugged. "But, from what I can understand, it seems gold is worth the same no matter which country we're in." She shifted nervously closer to Bendy, the devil pressing closer to her.  
  
"It will help. Thank you." Henry murmured, taking the coin. They would likely not be buying enough for the whole worth of the coin, but maybe they could cut it. He knew some backwoods areas still used gold, not trusting the council instated currency, or just to set in the old ways. They would find out soon enough. "Now we just need to remember to get the word out to everyone as well.."  
  
"Word out-" Pippen sat up abruptly, startling Bendy, the imp muttering an apology as she pulled out her journal. She tore out several clean pages, before beginning to furiously scribble down a message. After a bit of prying she finally answered, though she didn't stop. "We need to get the word out to other toons, but we need to get a message to Sunna as well. Saturnine told me before she left to search for food that the passage between Tunis and Wyvera is open once more. The ranch and all the towns and villages in the area will be on high alert after what the angelic council pulled, but they need to know who did the kidnapping- They need to know that not all toons are behind what the Council is doing. We can't let them poison everything again-"  
  
She was breaking up into half thoughts by the end of her explanation, curling the papers up as Glory approached. He bowed, Redfall poking his head out of the Harpia's saddlebag, his messenger tack already on. She adjusted the harness holding a metal tube dangling from the bird's tack, making sure it was on right, before sliding the message in and sealing it.   
  
"I don't know what the future holds for us, or for any toon for that matter, but if someone flees through that path, or if we somehow end up there." Pippen sighed, looking down at the microstryx loyally seated in her hands, awaiting instructions. "They need to know. They need to know everything that's happened. I know you will get this to them. Go to Gru, Redfall." The cardinal trilled, before taking off, flying with purpose, his wings beating furiously.   
  
"You think he'll make it?" Bendy asked softly.   
  
"I'm sure he will. He's small, and he knows how to go unnoticed when he needs to. He'll reach Sunna as quickly as his wings will allow." Pippen murmured. "Gru will mediate things on the border the best he can, as much as the situation allows.."  
  
"Shouldn't you send somethin' that important by one of these bigger birds?" Wally countered, raising a brow as he stretched his cramping legs.   
  
"No. He'll be able to get by undetected far easier without one of the larger Stryx." Pippen answered. "And he'll be able to move faster. A small bird carrying a message may be an older method by Tunis standards, but it's not completely out of use."  
  
"I guess. Birds got the right idea though. If I had wings, and my legs stopped hurting so much, I'd be outta' here." Wally rumbled, stretching his other leg. Pippen smiled weakly, walking over to give advice, use to helping first time students. Out of them all, Norman and Susie were the easiest to deal with, Norman always being surprisingly calm and Susie good at controlling her temper when need be. Cuphead, Mugman and Boris were already gathering sticks for a fire, Glory and Skoldolfr both standing watch, eyes and ears pricked for danger.  
  
Pippen returned to Bendy's side once she was sure the others were OK, though the atmosphere was tense. She could sense the uncertainty and unease aimed at her by these toons who thought they knew her, or had some grasp on what she was. The only toons not eyeing her out of the corner of their eyes were Bendy, and the cup brothers. Pippen could easily assume that Glory had told them a great deal of the things involving them, though if he mentioned her half-human side.. They'd have to see.  
  
_"So, there's two ways I can see this going, and I'm going to expect you to give us the truth here if you want things to continue peacefully."_ Norman finally declared, cutting through tension as he looked to Pippen. _'Is that you're from this 'Wyvera', and are a toon born there.. Or you're a human."  
_  
The tension surrounding them spiked noticeably as he spoke the second option, the sensation of eyes burrowing into Pippen's back only intensifying. She swallowed, before managing a weak smile. "The truth is a bit of both. I'm.. half human and half toon. Born and raised in Wyvera."  
  
"Half hum- How the heck does that work?" Wally demanded, staring hard at her.  
  
Pippen shrugged. "Uh.. I mean, when a mom and a dad like each other a lot-"  
  
"We don't need the birds and the bees talk." Sammy cut in dryly.   
  
"Listen, all I know from what Dad told me is that it's not as easy as a toon and toon or human and human getting together, but it's possible. Our.. Subspecies? Species? Whatever category Toons and Humans can be considered, they're compatible. Maybe thanks to the inherent magical nature of toons. That's the best Gru and I have worked out." She shifted quietly with unease as they spoke on her family.  
  
"So.. Which was which?" Susie asked curiously.  
  
"Mom was human. Dad was a devil toon, said he was pretty strong." Pippen offered in a quick, short burst, the discomfort clear.  
  
_"They got names?"_ Norman demanded.  
  
"... Alva Clarke and Leopold Ignatius Clarke." Pippen answered. "Dad took mom's last name because he found it funny, and it made grandpa mad. He said Ignatius wasn't really his last name, but he wouldn't talk about that much."  
  
"Probably didn't earn it." Sammy muttered. "Some of the bigger demon clans will only allow their children to carry the surname if they have proven themselves worthy. How they come to that decision is entirely their matter, there's no set rules."  
  
"..Dad did say be with my mother wouldn't be the first thing he did that disappointed his family, or the first one to do something that would upset them, but that he didn't care and they could 'suck brimstone'." Pippen offered nervously.  
  
"So where are they? If your dad is a full toon why the heck did he send you? Why didn't he teach you nothing about Tunis? It ain't changed that much in the past twenty-ish years." Wally demanded, Pippen stiffening instantly.  
  
"He- I- It- Wasn't possible." Pippen answered. Before anyone else could open their mouth to question her further, she muttered the true answer. "They're dead. Both of them. Since i was five. I-" She blinked back tears, turning away from the group in shame. It had been sixteen years, but thinking on that abrupt change in her life, the loss of two oh so loving parents, the disconnect from her brother in the confusion.. It still stung horribly.   
  
"...That's _enough_ , guys." Susie abruptly cut in, stopping them from pressing for details. They didn't fully trust her, given the secrets she had held, but to torment her by making her relieve the past when it wasn't necessary in the current situation.. It was repulsive. She stood, placing a hand on Pippen's shoulder, her eyes glittering with sympathy. Pippen may be half human, but.. As Henry had pointed out, everything they knew in recent years about humans had come from the Angelic Council, which had been working to whip the population into a frenzy of distrust and fear.   
  
But standing here, now, in front of someone with human blood.. It was clear they were more complex than the monsters that had been illustrated to the populace. Even if she was only half human, she had lived around humans her entire life. That would surely reflect on her personality if they were as terrible as was claimed. Pippen looked up to her, eyes glittering with guilty tears and pain, the school librarian pulling her closer, protectively, glaring at the three who had been pushing the investigation.  
  
"Humans are like us." Bendy offered, tail whipping with agitation. It had taken all of his self control not to shout at the three as they began to grill Pippen, knowing that escalating the situation would have only upset her more. "We talked about it with her, me and Dad. There are good humans, bad humans, and everything in between, just like there are good toons, bad toons, and everything in between. I _trust_ Pippen. She didn't keep hiding things from me, even when it would benefit her."  
  
" _A lie by omission is still a lie, Bendy._ " Norman countered.  
  
"What was she supposed to do, Norman? Hold up a big sign announcing she's a half human with a letter from a full human for our missing king? Oh, and she has giant sort of scary dragon birds and bats with her, hope that doesn't rustle anyone's jimmies!" Bendy snapped back. "What would you do if your position was switched, if you were in Wyvera and couldn't go home, and everything was different enough to be confusing, but not so different you couldn't adapt with time."  
  
The group fell silent, Bendy's tail still whipping furiously, though he was slowly calming down thanks to blowing off some steam with his outburst.   
  
"I guess it makes sense.." Wally was the first to admit, leaning on the log and into Star Struck's fluffy side, the Gryph still standing protectively over the group. "I don't like it, but it makes sense."  
  
"I wish you hadn't gotten us involved in your mess." Sammy grumbled.  
  
"We would have been involved whether Pippen was here or not, Sammy. This is the Angelic Council's fault." Susie cut in, making sure they kept things straight. She knew Sammy was just being difficult thanks to the pent up stress and irritation plaguing him, but he needed to learn to keep it under better control. At the very least, to a point he didn't blame innocent parties for things they had no involvement in.   
  
" _It makes sense. I don't like it either, but it makes sense. I don't know what else I would have done in this situation."_ Norman finally conceded. _"But I want to know more. No more holding us in the dark. We're in this together, whether we like it or not. I want to know what these Dracostryx are, what Wyvera is like, how we're connected, because I know we are connected. That bird of yours, the fluffy faced one, Saturnine, proved it with what she was talking about."_  
  
"I'm not sure what Saturnine was talking about, but I'm sure she will share what she knows." Pippen offered. "I- Saturnine is a very old bird. It doesn't show, but she's been around for a long time. If anyone would know a part of history that's been forgotten or buried, it would be her."  
  
"That I do." Saturnine's voice greeted them. The group turned to spot her and Beowulf walking out of the forest, several fish wedged on a spear made from a stripped tree branch, both carrying a branch each. Plenty of food for tonight, and a good source of protein that the toons would be less leery of compared to a deer or other prey animal. The whole 'talking animal' thing made things a bit complicated, and they had decided to fish instead, since they were still a common meal in Tunis, and less likely to trigger a moral issue.   
  
Wally and Norman took the speared fish from the birds, Wally setting to work descaling them and seeing them skewered properly and placed by the fire. It was a good thing he had been a toon scout as a kid. The cup bros were getting a fire together, Boris and Glory supervising them closely, though they soon had a safe fire going, the boys beaming with pride. Glory couldn't help but smile in pride as well, humming in approval.   
  
"What is it you wish to know?" Saturnine asked, her soothing voice and presence helping to ease the tension surrounding the group. Pippen slipped away from Susie, sliding onto Saturnine's back and burying her face in her thick feathers, trying to forget the memories their questions had unearthed. Memories of blood, of screaming, pain and fear.   
  
"Well for one, how come you can talk, and them others can't?" Wally questioned.   
  
"I have a rare ability, courtesy of the magic I was born with. It is a rare ability among our kind, but occurs occasionally when the wild magic within is particularly strong, or if they have been gifted speech by human or other rider-species intervention." Saturnine answered calmly, not bothered by Pippen. The motion was a familiar one, one they both knew well after their time together. It was rare for Pippen to reach this point, but it happened.  
  
"Lucky you." Wally muttered. Saturnine simply shrugged nonchalantly, cool and calm.  
  
" _You called the angels 'Sentinels of Diaus'. What does that mean?"_ Norman questioned, none of them bothering Pippen. The only person to approach Saturnine was Bendy, who the owl allowed to clumsily clamber onto her back, curling around Pippen protectively. Her wet eyes briefly met his, showing appreciation for the gesture, the Stryx broad back wide enough for them to press together on the soft cushioning of her feathers.  
  
"That is the title they were once known by, before the war of Human and Toons that lead to the a desperation division of worlds to protect both sides." Saturnine began. "They once served the god of light, of the sun, Daius, father of the earth, and were his messengers and guardians of the earth, protecting it from those who would abuse the powers of light or shadow for evil intent. The sentinels have many forms, but the most common are what you know as angels today. Nokt is said to have a similar sect, but their forms are wide and varied, and she did not specifically create them, but choose them from among the mortals and elevated them to a position of power once they had proved they could be trusted with such a responsibility, and accepted it. But even so, the 'demon' or 'dark type' beings, as they are called, fall in Nokt's domain, as her children of the shadows and night."  
  
"Kinda a mess in this Nokt's house.." Wally quipped.  
  
"Not quite. While she is the patron of the demon and dark type toons specifically, they are not her sentinels. They were not made for the task of defending the world like the Sentinels of Diaus. Keep in mind, however, that though she is naturally their patron, there can be demon types who lean more heavily into the path of Diaus, or an angel or being of light who feels more drawn to the path of Nokt. There _were_ some Sentinels of Shadow in the days before the war, something neither god quarreled over since these new sentinels helped to cover aspects of life the Sentinels of light were not as well equipped to deal with." Saturnine continued.  
  
"However.. That is in the past. It is said there are some Sentinels of both divisions still left in Wyvera, but they are known for living in isolation and watching over the world from a distance. Most are Dracostryx from what I have heard, those who did not stray from their path in spite of the war."   
  
"What war?" Sammy demanded. He knew a bit of history, but he did not remember any mention of a war between humans and toons..  
  
"A terrible war, long ago, when Tunis was still apart of the wider world at large." Saturnine answered. "No one is sure how it began. The aggression between both sides simply exploded so quickly, and there were so many claims and stories.." She shook her head. "Not even I can tell you which were true, and which were made to stir up the population. No matter which they were, the hearts of Tunis and Wyverians were ignited with the flames of war, their kinship and long years of friendship forgotten."   
  
"Both aligned their forces for an all out battle that would have been an utter, merciless, pointless slaughter if they were allowed to meet. In desperation, a group of magi, both human and toon, came together with a wild plan. On the day of a full moon eclipse, one day prior to the battle, when the god's powers are their strongest in equal degrees, they enacted a spell to separate the countries, and prevent the battle. Wyvera lost it's sister country, and Tunis was placed here, in this pocket realm, until both sides could calm down, and work out the truth of what had lead to this escalation.. Or so was the goal." Saturnine paused sighing.  
  
"But emotions remained inflamed, neither side seeking the truth, save for a few brave souls on both side. The hatred was nurtured and grown in the time between, though it has dulled with time and separation, the conflicts and claims that started the war long forgotten. Even now I know that Toons fear and despise humans, and many humans fear and despise them... Until they meet one. Then they realize how complex a being that which they had blindly feared truly was, or so they do in most cases. You can only expect so much after all.." Saturnine shrugged, carefully not to disturb the toons on her back, the pair murmuring softly to one another. "But the worst part is the utter abandonment of the gods who worked so hard to protect your people. Tunis is in a terribly vulnerable position thanks to turning their backs on the gods."  
  
"Why don't we know about this? It's so important..' Susie murmured softly.  
  
"Why would they tell us anything? If the powers that be control all the information, and the way it's looked at, why would they give us the full truth, and not what works best for them?" Sammy quipped.   
  
_"Easier to control the masses that way. Assuming the bird is telling the truth."_ Norman rumbled. Saturnine was unperturbed by his doubt, her expression calm. It was inevitable they would question her, given what she was. But she was certain there were others, somewhere, hidden in Tunis who could confirm what she had told them.   
  
"Anyway, who wants fish?" Wally cut in, pulling a couple of the roasted fish from the fire, setting up a couple more to cook. "I used to be a toon scout, these are guaranteed edible."   
  
"That is not reassuring in the slightest." Sammy rumbled.   
  
Skoldolfr leaned towards the fire, sniffing the fish curiously, eyeing them hopefully. One of the larger ones was tossed his way, the wolf bat catching it in his maw and setting to work on it quickly. It was sort of cute, in a 'massive scary sort-of dog thing' way, but also unnerving as he showed off rows of sharp, dangerous fangs. Ones he would only turn on his enemies.   
  
Pippen slid off of Saturnine's back with Bendy, the pair holding hands as they did, closing in on the group quietly. They would have to wait on Betty and Henry to come through with the leather before they could get to any real work, but for the moment a tentative peace fell over the group. Most of them were still hesitant about Pippen, but it had lessened considerably with her explanation and Saturnine freely sharing whatever information they demanded of her that she could supply. They continued to drill her with questions about Wyvera, about Dracostryx, about whatever they could think of, and Saturnine calmly answered them the best she could, unperturbed by their distrust and fear.   
  



	25. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> ++=++  
> *kicks down door*  
> ITS a double post day, so make sure you don't skip a chapter accidentally :D

  
  
"Please.. It hurts.." Perci groaned, looking up from the ground. He couldn't get up, his back was on fire, the muscles shrieking in agony. The lights in the lab were bright, so bright, he couldn't see anything but the light. His body felt strange, almost like it was in flux, trying to change into something else, but resisting. His eyes hurt, everything but the light a shadowy blur to them. He could only pick out white and blacks, and a few hues of grey, his eyes watering uncontrollably.  
  
"Please. Mama.. Papa.. Pippen.... Lumi...... Alice.... Someone. Please. Please. It hurt's. Help me" Perci rasped, his throat feeling so terribly dry. And yet it didn't feel like it was there at all. His head hurt terribly, as if it were going to split open like an egg, crack open and release who knows what.  
  
He couldn't remember where he was, or why he was here. He couldn't remember what had caused all of this horrible pain. He couldn't remember how he had gotten here, and most everything before this point was a blur of images, names, sounds, feelings, all steadily glowing blurrier until it became an indistinct grey fog drifting through his mind. Not truly gone, but incomprehensible and easy to ignore. Easy to stack other things over top of it, new beliefs and ideas.  
  
_"...More magic... 60ccs more of... Almost there.. So close.. to success._ " A voice whispered (were they whispering?) from somewhere beyond him.  
  
"Please.. Help.. M.. Pi...? Lali... Help." Perci gasped again. He felt strange, he felt almost fluid, nearly formless. But he wasn't formless. He was in flux, he was changing. There was a dull splitting sensation along his back, no, two of them, and the pain stopped, something pushing him around a bit as parts of him wetly smacked the ground, fully stretched out. He felt cold, cold and smaller, smaller than he remem-.. Was he smaller? He wasn't sure.  
  
_"Yes! YES! Pop the champagne boys!"_ A voice declared, cheers rising up from around him. His head hurt, the sound making pain lance through his round skull, this hands reaching up protectively. He pulled his head closer, surprised by how flexible it was, but too distracted by the pain to explore. Where was he? What was all of this noise for? What was the champagne for?  
  
"Don't you think it a bit early for such measures, Professor?" A deep, commanding voice asked. It was deep, and yet felt calming to his frazzled nerves. He felt so tired and confused.  
  
"Oh? Oh yes, he is a bit of a mess-" A click sounded, before ice cold water rushed over his form, a yelp ripping from his throat. The male slid off of the table he had been strapped to, his limbs to thin for the bindings now. His eyes snapped open, realizing for the first time that they were closed. His pie cut eyes, edged in amber, opened, watching cold water tinted red slide by him towards a small grate in the ground. It drained away with a noisy gurgle, his feathers slick with liquid.  
  
Feathers? He twitched a wing, the pure white feather covered limb moving as he commanded it. It was his. He could feel a second one, one on his other side, perfectly symmetrical in position and shape. Slowly, he turned his head, realizing he had no neck, but not feeling concerned. Had he ever had a neck? He couldn't remember. He didn't know anything beyond this room, the cold, the voices, the strange smell of chemicals and the faint echos of pain.  
  
Something wrapped around him, something soft, a fluffy towel that helped to slowly warm him. He looked up, meeting patient bright blue eyes, six wings carefully wrapped around the figure, one stretching forward to cover him. The eyes were patient and sympathetic, slowly helping the boy to stand, his expression turning to one of gentle warmth.  
  
"How are you feeling? It was a difficult process recovering you from the shadows, but by the will of Angelis you have been saved, with a bit of help from our scientist friends here." The male spoke, nodding to the scientist, the most prominent a weasel with a pair of swirly lensed glasses. He grinned, sharp fangs bared in an unnerving smile.  
  
"Where am I?" He asked, trying and failing to get up, the taller angel catching him. He could see a halo, _his_ halo, bob over his head, dropping low as he collapsed, his limbs weak and helpless, like a new born deer. "Who..? Recovered..?"  
  
The other angel's expression turned sympathetic. "I'll explain everything shortly. First, lets get you dried off and dressed. The process is rather exhausting from what I have heard." He hummed, gently helping the boy stand.  
  
"Who am I?" He asked again, trying to get a grasp of what was going on. He felt so empty and confused, other than basic information and facts, like how to walk, and strange odds and ends.  
  
"Your name is Asier." The taller answered as he stood, helping the tan skinned angel stand, the taller, paler figure supporting the weaker. "And my name is Angelo. Angelo Voildrus. I'm here to help." 'Asier' leaned into him, clinging to the perfect white clothing on the taller angel, guilt thrumming through him as he dirtied it. Angelo did not trouble him for the matter however, holding him gently as he lead him away from the scientist to get dressed and reeducated.  
  
  
=======  
  
  
Seaworth Village was a small, humble village, located on the outskirts of the Redwoods, a clearing on the edge of the sea, the tall redwood trees curving protectively along it's far sides. The houses were primarily squat, hardy buildings of timber , built to be effective for coastal living while still beautiful in a way that was distinctly elvish. The wood was carefully sourced, according to Lyllen, to prevent deforesting to wide an area of the surrounding woods, and loosing it's natural protection.  
  
At the highest point was the elder's home, the large building also serving as an evacuation point in the case of a tsunami or severe storm. Children, the sick, and the elderly who were not classed as _The_ local elder were always welcome in the building, and to shelter when there during severe weather. As it was, a number of children were running in and out of the building, cheering and shouting as they ran about playing games. Several of the older residents sat on the front deck in rocking chairs, muttering among themselves idly, though some watched the approaching trio quietly.  
  
The children stay clear of them, eyeing them suspiciously. Seaworth didn't get as many refugees as the other portions of the Redwoods, and the only time they saw an angel was during an attack. To see one willingly walking beside an elf was confusing, but didn't make them trust him. They parted away from the trio as they walked, openly staring at Pidge as he walked by, their strange eyes staring at him judgingly.  
  
Pidge held his head high, tucking his wings in close to his body to stop them from shaking. They were just children, but all it would take was one shot of fear or scream from them to set off the adults have them all on _him_ like a swarm of bees. Lyllen may be there, but there was only so much one Elf could do against a frenzied mob.  
  
"Elder Uridove." Lyllen greeted, looking to the elf in the center, bowing to her. Pidge followed his lead, the female elf looking down on them silently. She had crow's feet beside each eye, the most prominent of the few wrinkles on her face, eyes a vivid blue and silver. She clutched a cane, decorated with the imagery of sea life carved along it's length, without sacrificing it's integrity.  
  
"Lyllen. What brings such an important elf to our quiet little village?" Elder Uridove questioned, watching them silently. "And why have you brought one of _those_ with you?"  
  
Pidge shifted with unease, but kept his mouth shut, shooting Oliver a quick glance to follow his lead, even as the bird began to puff up with disapproval. The cockatoo stayed quiet, for now, though it was clear from his expression he had a few choice words to share in turn. They hadn't even _done_ anything yet!  
  
"I'm afraid you will have to abide the angel's presence, Elder." Lyllen stated neutrally. "We have been sent here by the High Council of Elders to investigate a matter that may lead to the end of the attacks by the void beast and the one that leads them. However, in accordance with the advice of the seer, Chronos. I believe you are familiar with them?"  
  
"I am familiar with their ways." Elder Uridove answered derisively, snorting. "What does it want this time?"  
  
"We were told to investigate a strange child, one said to live near the sea of mourning. That was the only advice the seer gave us. They claim they hold the key to an important secret that will aid us in battle against the Gryph, Spite." Lyllen reported. The elders instantly began murmuring among themselves in elvish, the 'strange child' portion setting them off. They knew. It could be seen in their eyes the moment he said it, who it was in question.  
  
"For what reason do you seek the boy, Lyllen?" Elder Uridove demanded, on guard now. The children watching the gathering were whispering among themselves, one name coming to their lips in whispers. ' _Anatole_ '.  
  
"I seek them for the reasons I have already outlined. We were told that the child would show us the path to retrieve the memories, memories of the past that outline something vital. They claimed the child knows how to retrieve these pieces, that they know where to go for the artifact we carry to absorb and present the memories." Lyllen stated once more.  
  
"You ask of us a difficult burden, Lyllen." Uridove stated in a terse voice. "It is not everyday a soul is reborn with the memories of the past in tact, and while there is often a reason for that, it is a heavy burden for most. While the boy remembers some things, he does not remember much. He is not as _burdened_ as he could be." She was grasping the wooden chair beneath her tightly, her knuckles turning white. "He can still lead a _normal_ life."  
  
"If he was reborn with his past life's memories in tact, than it was for a reason. We both know that, Elder." Lyllen countered. Pidge watched on in confusion, before remembering something that had come up when speaking with Pippen. The elves appeared to follow the same religious beliefs that Pippen followed, and one of the key points he remembered was a belief in reincarnation. The range of what you could be reborn as was wide, but it was agreed that you never remembered your past lives. Not without the gods purposefully leaving them intact.  
  
"What he remembers is already terrible, Lyllen. Would you have the boy remember more, and taint what little he joy he has?" Uridove spat, standing now, grasping her cane.  
  
Before either could speak, a new voice cut in. It was from a young elvish boy, who had been hiding in the doorway of the elder's home. He was perhaps twelve years old, a practice bow dangling in his hands, his fingers plucking the string distractedly. His eyes were comprised of an blue sclera, a gold iris, and dark pupils in the center. As he looked up to them, they were struck with a sense of.. Age.. As if the boy had seen more years than his young body had.  
  
"Elder Uridove.. They're talking about me, aren't they?" He spoke gently, politely and respectfully, head bowed. His hair was a feathery copper color, skin a light brown. He wore simple clothing, simple by elvish standards at least, and bordering on simple by Tunis standards. Most of the children wore a similar style of clothing, something likely made for surviving the rough and tumble life style of children.  
  
"No. Go back inside, Anatole." The elder brusquely declared, standing from her seat. Her stance was defiant and protective, desperate almost. Though she had no husband, she had a son, and he was her son. When the angels began their attacks, she had lost her husband, leaving only her son, who soon began to speak of dreams, and then he called them memories, with absolute certainty. Some would call it a blessing. Elder Uridove called it a curse, entrapping the boy on a path of misery.  
  
"He is the one." Pidge muttered, feeling the eye in his pocket vibrate at the boys approach. His words only served to earn him a sharp glare from the elder, who was clutching her cane tightly.  
  
"Leave him be, _Angel_." She spat, turning on him. "Leave my child alone!"  
  
"Oh-" Pidge mumbled, taking a nervous step back. This was far more complicated than he had expected initially. To try and take the child of someone so important..  
  
"Elder Uridove, please. We both know he was born in this life with his old memories in tact for a purpose." Lyllen argued. "We could save so many lives with what his memories hide-"  
  
" _IF_ we are to believe that wretched thing that calls itself a Seer!" The Elder snapped, turning on them.  
  
"It has not mislead us before-"  
  
"It has scarcely helped us before either. The costs of it's advice is never worth the pay off!" Elder Uridove spat.  
  
"... Depending on your stance of certain past events, perhaps you could say that, but the overall consensus is that their aid has helped prevent us from walking paths far more terrible than the ones we have." Lyllen continued calmly. It wasn't uncommon for some of the elders, particularly those in further out from the main city, to distrust The Seer. His odd behavior, and the debates over whether his advice was malicious or helpful that arose with time, had only helped to muddy matters further.  
  
The head council still trusted them however, and after extensive review had judged their advice had helped them, even if they came at a price. Nothing in life came for free, all things came at a cost. The cost would vary but sometimes it was worth it to ensure a better outcome. It was.. Easier to say than act on in most instances, and as with all matters, in the end it came to the actions of individuals and their free will. They could only guide and hope for so much.  
  
"Please, Elder. We must find these lost memories. If they hold a secret that can help preserve the lives of our fellow elves, than it is a path we must take." Lyllen pleaded.  
  
"Can I really help?" Anatole questioned curiously. He had walked out onto the porch, and was watching the unfolding argument with fascination. "I want to help stop the beast, mother! It's already taken so many people.. They took my friends parents.. And my the guard who was teaching me how to use a bow too... And a bunch of others." He glanced out over the children playing around them, trying to pretend they weren't watching and listening in on the conversation.  
  
"Yes. The Seer told us that you were the key to unlocking memories of the past, ones that would take us down a complex path, but the most rewarding possible path before us." Lyllen answered quickly, cutting in before the Elder could speak. She was clearly frustrated by the boy's interest, desperate to protect him from whatever memories he would unearth. If it was connected to Spite, than it could only be even more terrible than the ones he had shared with her.  
  
"I want to help!" Anatole declared, standing a bit taller, his practice bow now across his back as he prepared to jump off the porch. His mother caught him however, holding him by the shoulder.  
  
"Anatole. If you go down this path, there will be no forgetting what you learn. There will be no returning to who you once were. I- Are you sure this is what you want?" The elder asked gently, looking down to him.  
  
"I.. I want to know. It's important. I can feel it. I'll be OK, mama." Anatole murmured, turning to hug his mother.  
  
"I.. Know you will be." The Elder lied, bowing her head. She didn't believe the statement in the slightest, certain he would come back a totally a different person. A changed person. He would still be her son, nothing that happened would change that, but the harm that may befall him for the memories he retrieved.. She couldn't prevent it, and that fact was unbearable.  
  
"We'll protect him, Ma'am." Pidge offered, shrinking back a bit as the Elder leveled a harsh glare on him. He knew it wasn't an anger meant _personally_ for him but.. It still stung, no matter how much he tried to reason with himself that it shouldn't. He managed to hold his position none the less, not shying away from the fierce eyes leveled on him. She slowly looked away, releasing a heavy breath.  
  
"You better." She rumbled, eyes slowly shifting to Lyllen once more. "What else do you want, Council representative?"  
  
"Yes. I formally request of you, using the power invested in me by the High Council, that you get into contact with the other local villages and towns that have pieces of the beast, Malice. We have discovered that bringing these shards near an artifact the sheer has loaned us will unlock echoes of the past which may show us a way to cut through the beast's defenses." Lyllen stated, growing a tad bit irate with the Elder's lack of manners. He didn't show it, save for how he invoked his position to strong arm the elder into compliance.  
  
"We will gather them _outside_ of the village." The elder answered. "It will be your funeral when you drag those wretched void beasts down upon your own heads. And you will not bring Anatole near those things." With that she sat back down, making it clear with her body language that she was done with them, looking away from Anatole so she could resist the urge to pick him up and take him back into the house, away for what was coming.  
  
"Thank you, Elder." Lyllen stated simply. They stepped away from the building, and form the children gathered to watch them, leading Anatole away. It would be easier to talk to him with less eyes on them. Uridove would likely appreciate him keeping whatever they discovered under wraps, and it would be easier to start the investigation away from so many eyes.  
  
Once they reached the beach, they were clear of prying eyes and ears, the group turning to Anatole slowly. They were uncertain how to start this, but Anatole started speaking moments later.  
  
"You said you needed to know what I remember." The boy began. "But what do you need to know exactly?"  
  
"We.. Aren't sure." Pidge admitted, pulling the Seer's eye from his pocket. The stone was vibrating lightly, the vibrations growing stronger whenever it neared the boy. After a moment, he hesitantly placed it in Anatole's hands, fearing what may come. The stone flashed several times after landing in the youth's hands, but-  
  
_-pain lanced down his back, his limbs, buzzing and aching with pain from the strike. How could such a thing have happened? It was such a simple job. He turned to face his lifelong companion-  
  
-Fear, an unnatural terror gripped him, propelling him forward, in spite of the cries behind him, the pleas for his return. He couldn't stop, he couldn't turn back, and he couldn't tell **why** these decisions were out of his control, he just needed to run-  
  
-Agony, red hot pain, the sound of flesh tearing as he **felt** his spine leave his body, raindrops of blood following him to the ground. A massive shadow hung over him, gore dangling from it, a pale yellow beak, fading into a deep gold on the furthest ends, stained with blood, red eyes rimmed with red feathers staring down at him hatefully from beyond the blurry haze of pain and fear, rapidly fading away.-_  
  
Lyllen shouted as the visions faded, pulling his blade. It was enchanted against all manner of beings, and served him well as he struck down a strange, pale figure rapidly closing in on them, reaching for the boy. Anatole stumbled back from the attack, Pidge quickly grabbing him and Oliver, wrapping a wing around the boy, muttering the most powerful protective spell he could think of in the moment. Oliver was shouting in alarm, warning them what directions the enemy was coming from, cursing his lack of weapons or magical ability.  
  
Several more pale figures appeared, trying to grab them, but were stopped by Pidge's barrier, his face twisting in pain as they touched the barrier. It felt like they were slowly tearing away tiny pieces of his mind with each second, the sensation fading as Lyllen struck down the rest of the specters. He was trembling, eyes wild. He knew those eyes, those eyes that had peered down upon him as the owner took away his life. The eyes of the beast, one that had nearly slain him.  
  
Pidge didn't lower the barrier until Lyllen verbally instructed him to do so, the angel shakily breaking off his chant. He was wobbling in place, his lightly tanned skin having paled from the brief encounter. His heart was beating heavily in his chest, the wild look in the angel's eyes only starting to fade as Anatole started to shake him, pressing the eye to his chest as he did so, the cool stone helping him snap out of his daze.  
  
"What were- Were those the-?" Pidge panted, still unwilling to release the boy. The pain, the fear, the _blood_ , there was so much _blood_. He could taste it on his lips, on his tongue, could smell it in the air even though it had been a memory of another person. Anatole seemed surprised by their responses, having grown numb to the memories. At least, for the most part. Sometimes they still bothered him.  
  
"Spirits. Weak ones, but malignant spirits none the less, seeking to feast on our emotions." Lyllen answered stiffly. He slowly seethed his sword, taking several deep breaths to calm himself. Once more he stood before them, calm and stoic.  
  
"I feel like.. We're supposed to go that way." Anatole mumbled, turning towards the northern woods, holding the eye in front of him like a compass. He tried to start forward, but Pidge didn't let go of him, and Lyllen caught him by the shoulder.  
  
"Wait." He rumbled. "The seer warned the path would be dangerous, and we have seen evidence of this already.. We will be treading on the path of spirits to find these fragments, and they will likely not be as weak as these were. We must prepare before we go anywhere else."  
  
"How long will that take?" Pidge questioned.  
  
"A couple days at most. We aren't going in without the proper defensive enchantments and weaponry each of us can use. Not with how easily those spirits were drawn to the eye." Lyllen answered, though he felt it was not the eye that had drawn them in so intently, but the _boy_.  
  
  
=======  
  
  
Asier sat on his new bed, kicking his legs quietly, waiting for his teacher to return. He was clothed now, wearing fine soft linens, all in pale hues of cream and white. It matched his perfectly white hair, his amber edged pie cut eyes looking over the plain room. The walls were a nice shade of blue, while the ground was white, the furniture simple, pristine, and clean. A desk, a chair, a bed, and a dresser drawer were all that were present, as well as a simple floor lamp.  
  
Angelo had told him that he was a being of light, and had been meant to be born as an angel, but had been snatched away by forces of darkness to be warped into something else. They had recovered him, and with the help of the Council of Scientific Advancement, he had been rescued and cleansed. And now he could live the proper life he was meant to have as an angel.  
  
He wasn't sure how to feel about it. He didn't know how to feel about a lot of things. Asier didn't understand what Angelo meant when he said he was _meant_ to be born an angel, or how Angelo even knew that, but he was an angel of the high council, one in contact with Angelis. Surely someone in contact with a god knew what they were talking about... Right?  
  
So why did he feel so uncertain? He liked Angelo, and part of him, a large part of him, felt like he should trust Angelo and yet.. There was this small nagging part of him. A small part with flashes of a strange, off white bird of gargantuan size, and an angel with lush dark hair, and small horns beneath her halo. And yet he did feel the repulsion he was told would be naturally felt towards an openly 'corrupt' angel. He felt drawn to her, and the bird, even though he wasn't sure they were real.  
  
A knock came from his door, and he called for the figure to answer. It was Anaiel, or so he had been told was his name.. In private, he had asked Asier to call him 'Fredrick' when it was just them. The buck toothed angel was oddly insistent, and while Asier didn't understand what it was about, he had agreed. He didn't see any harm in it. The brown haired angel ran in, his halo trailing after him slightly, as if it couldn't quite keep up with how fast he moved.  
  
"Hey hey! Asier!" Fredrick greeted, keeping his voice low. He was one of the recovered angels who did not have wings, that same strange edge of emptiness common to the recovered. He jumped onto the bed next to Asier, bouncing one of his legs. He was taller than Asier, by a foot or so, his figure gangly and thin. He was always twitchy, but he was twitchier with Asier. He had mentioned it was because he was 'Angelo's favorite', though Asier didn't see that in the archangels behavior.. At least not that he noticed. But everything felt so foggy and uncertain, even after his recovery.  
  
"Hello Fredrick." Asier greeted. The figure grinned wide, delighted he had remembered his chosen name. "What brings you?"  
  
"Can't a guy hop over to visit a new friend?" Fredrick offered, grinning. "How you been? Did you have another dream about your black haired boo?" He thumped his foot on the ground, grinning wide as he laughed at Asier's flush.  
  
"You promised not to talk about it.." The smaller mumbled. He bowed his head, finger rubbing his face where a nose would be if he had one. He wasn't sure why he didn't have a nose, where the others did. There were a small number of angels like him, either without a neck or nose, but not many without both. But then they were all individuals, or so Fredrick would tell him. He had heard from the other older angels that one day Angelis would wipe away all their flaws and differences, and make them equal. He wasn't sure what the meant either, and part of him didn't really like the sound of it. It made him nervous, though he couldn't explain _why_ it did.  
  
"Not to talk about it in front of the others." Fredrick snickered. It was Asier's third day in 'The burrows' as Fredrick called it, though it was technically a sanctuary lodging. A special one, meant for the recovered to help ensure they made it fully through the process without being harmed further by the malignant forces of the outside world. Fredrick had been outside before, only once, but he had suffered an 'attack' while helping to watch out for thieves at a park bazaar, and he had been sent back here.  
  
"I mean, yeah, but.." Asier sighed. He didn't think he would win this fight.  
  
"So you have?" Fredrick asked. Asier hesitated, before nodding. Fredrick was silent for a long moment, before looking to him,a conspiratorial look in his eye. "Don't tell Angelo or any of the higher ups."  
  
"Huh?" Asier mumbled, looking up to him in confusion. Angelo had said they could trust him with _anything_. Why wouldn't he share these strange, repetitive dreams with him?  
  
"They're give you medicine that will make you tired and loopy, and you'll forget a lot of things. That's what they gave me, but Micah told me what I told him before they gave me the medicine, and I remembered it. I don't think we're suppose to forget them. I think the older angels are doing the wrong thing." Fredrick whispered.  
  
"But- But isn't it the will of Angelis?" He asked in turn, hesitant and uncertain.  
  
"Is it? It feels so odd when they say that. As if they mean to say it's the will of Angelo." Fredrick whispered. "Listen, don't tell this to Angelo. Please. If you're really my friend, you won't. I just.. I just want to watch out for you and the others."  
  
"I.. I won't." Asier agreed, deciding that moment he would not betray Fredrick's trust. He had been the kindest to him out of all the angels, both the recovered and normal, and he had treated Asier like a normal _person_ when he first arrived. Angelo had treated him.. Differently, from what Fredrick had told him. He was more active and attentive to him than the other recovered, both past and present. As if he were a prize winning dog or something, as Fredrick put it. Fredrick had an odd way of putting things.  
  
The bucktoothed angel stared at him for several minutes, his brown eyes looking deep into Asier's amber eyes. Beneath the left eye of the smaller angel was a small, inexplicable scar, something no one would speak on. But despite that distraction, Fredrick could see the honesty in his gaze, the simple trust. Angelo hadn't implanted an unquestioning loyalty in him, despite the time he had spent focusing on the newest angel. Asier was still full of questions.  
  
"Thanks, Ace. Anyway, evening prayer sess. will be soon. Don't be late if you don't want dirty looks from the higher ups!" Fredrick chuckled, sliding off of the bed, an odd pep in his step as he moved. He passed a cup of water to Asier, encouraging him to drink up, less he end up with a dry throat in the upcoming session. He tightened his left hand into a fist as he walked out, closing it around the medicine he hid in his palm. There would be no need to sneak the forgetting medicine into Asier's drink, something that brought that pep to his step. He liked Asier. If this talk had fallen through, he would have been forced to use the medicine, and most likely loose Asier entirely to Angelo's side.  
  
He trotted away, acting like a good angel, head bowed in thoughtful penitence as he walked. When he reached the outer gardens, he paused to look upon a statue of a fish spitting water out of it's mouth. He pulled an odd, blue piece of paper from his pocket, quickly scribbling something down. Once he was done, he dropped it into the pond, watching it dissolve away to nothing. With his work completed, he plucked a couple roses for the altar to Angelis, and made his way into the building to attend evening prayers, standing beside Asier once he arrived, earning a small smile from the newest member of their group.  
  
  
========  
  
  
A blue slip of paper materialized in the bubbling fountain in the corner of the room, one of the magic apprentices darting over to pick it up. They all wore robes of the Magical council, a tan or cream color, edged in colors of there specialization, if they had chosen an elemental specialization. Some who had chosen a general position, wanting to not specialize in any one spell, had a rainbow of colors, or no edging on their simple cloaks, depending on how long they had been there.  
  
The one who had picked up the paper was an apprentice of water magic specifically, and had been watching over it intensely. The rabbit had a set of gills and webbing between his toes, as Roger Hops a dedicated student of magic, specifically water magic. He had been studying the ways of the waves and currents for years, always entranced and fascinated by the complexities of the ocean and life within.  
  
However, despite all those years he had not lost contact with his family, or his troubled youngest brother Fredrick. When his mother raised the alarm, he was the first in the family to send funds to help in the search, to hire a private investigator, print missing person posters, and everything else he could think of. And when a familiar sheep had stepped forward with a strange story, one who, despite a slightly rocky history with Fredrick, respected the boy and wished only the best for him.. Roger had been the first to start investigating the complexities of transmuting a living being from one thing to another.  
  
He had slowly attracted more help, more attention, accepting it from all directions, no matter the level of expertise the magi carried. Be they a lower apprentice than him, or an adept, or master, he did not care, so long as their hearts were in the right place. Eventually, the investigation had reached the top, and had left Roger's command. Which was a good thing, because he had been started to become overwhelmed by the outpour of help and resources. He didn't have the experience to keep such a large, complicated task together and under careful wraps.  
  
In the room waited several other magi, and a half dozen angels who had fled the Council of Angels, and turned to the Council of magic for help. Among them, two adept magi of shadow worked to hide their actions from prying eyes of the angelic council, and the actions of their contact as much as they could from this distance without arousing suspicion. Two adept magi of water, ensuring the message would come through and remain undetected by the higher angels. A master of elements, a representative for the higher council, doing his best to keep things calm and balanced as the angels started to stare at the message the strange rabbit pulled from the fountain.  
  
It looked like a bunch of nonsensical lines and dots, but it was a code, one the Hops family had created long ago as a 'family bonding activity.' Rabbits were always known for their precautions, and before Mr. Hops had passed on, he had prepared his children in as many ways he could think of. What was mere lines and dots was a wealth of information to Roger, one he was slowly decoding onto a piece of paper.  
  
The only angel not to stand was the newest of the group, one Alice Angel. She sat as calmly as she could, grasping her cup of tea. She and the other angels here were not the only ones to flee to safety so close beneath the Angelic Council's noise, but she was one of the few who had chosen to stay here, to continue the fight. There were others who had been here, and moved out to other locations in the control of the Council of Magic, be they University Campuses like the one they were hidden on now, or personal residences of magi who willingly donated the space to the cause.  
  
She watched the rabbit scribble out his message, forcing herself to stay calm. It had been one of the few angels who remained behind who had found her trying to outpace two enforcers from the Angelic Council. She hadn't gotten far before they were following her, Angelo catching on to her ruse very quickly. If it hadn't been for them, she likely would have been taken away.. And erased.  
  
That was what had been slated for her. That was what would happen to Perci. He would still technically be himself, but he would also be.. Someone else. He would likely be given a new name, as Roger's brother had been given, helping to keep his memories blurred into an indistinct grey. They warned her that was likely what would happen to her too, when she was 'purified' by their methods. Her memories would be gone, and she would be reshaped into whatever they desired. Now Perci would be molded into someone else to satisfy Angelo's desire for 'perfection', as he defined it, if they couldn't get him out.  
  
"All right." Roger's voice cut through the quiet murmuring between angels and magi. He began to rattle off details, matters of schedule changes, changes in what was specifically being taught to them, and details about certain recovered. So far none of their agents had been noticed, all of them dancing to the tune that was expected of them. It was easy enough with most of the angels. Most of them were 'fog-brained' as well, their scruples and troubles with the matter of the 'recovered' banished by quick little sessions and medication. It was only the dedicated and Angelo to be severely concerned about if they weren't careful.  
  
"There is a new 'recovered', likely the human that was taken in for testing. He responded to the 'first syllable' test once Fredrick and the others were provided his name, and was quickly diverted from it without the test being detected." Roger continued, referring to the test they had set up. It wasn't perfect, but using the first syllable of the original name would gain a response, but not as severe a response as hearing their full name. It was tricky however, given there were only so many first syllable sounds that could make up a name, or ways to make that distinct sound without risking the dedicated catching on. But they had managed, and succeeded. They had found Perci.  
  
"It is believed the human Perci Clarke is assigned the name 'Asier'." Roger continued. "He is the only new 'recovered' to appear in the past several days, and his appearance, along with the attention the dedicated and Angelo are paying to him, aligns with the recent information we received in regards to the Angelic Council getting their hands on a full blooded human." Alice wasn't the only one to report the human to them, but she was the only one who could tell them his name, could say who he truly was...  
  
"So it's too late." Alice whispered, her hands clasped tightly together, the cup put down when she had begun to tremble with guilt. She had been gone for three days, but she was already too late to rescue the human who had helped her so much.  
  
"Not quite." Another angel offered. "It's.. It's too late to preserve him as a full human but.. His memories can be recovered. He just needs a trigger, like Fredrick and many of the other 'recovered' acting as agents for the Council of Magic. Except he won't be able to stay behind once his memories are awakened, even to the slightest degree.."  
  
"Angelo would be on that within moments." The Master of Elements rumbled. "To turn a human, a being that is far removed from toons in both a biological and magical sense is a prize he will not want to loose. It is a mark of his crusades 'success', a factor to convince his deluded mind that he is on the correct path. Whatever it is that feeds him this power to bend forms so drastically, and to target specific memories without wiping their knowledge.. It will likely have ensured this success, and will use it to seed it's control deeper into the Archangel."  
  
"We have to be careful." Cadriel, another angel murmured. He had four wings, and was one of the few high council angels to abandon his post. He was coated in scars, very new scars, suggesting that his 'escape' had not been as neat and tidy as most of the newer angels on the side of rebellion. He had been the first to join the Council of Magic's investigation, and through him they had really blown the lid off of how deep this matter went, and connected all the strands and dots the magi had collected into a cohesive picture.  
  
"Trust me when I say this. If Angelo detects we are taking his newest prize away, he will destroy all of the human's memories to spite us. He may loose a new pawn in the moment, but he will not be letting us have what we want either. He will leave them on the level of a newborn just to spite anyone who works against him. I should know." Cadriel silently rubbed a scar on his cheek, one dangerously close to his eye. "Angelo does not take kindly to things he has staked his pride on being taken away or damaged."  
  
"That's so terrible.." An angel murmured.  
  
"I thought you angel types were supposed to be nice and above petty shit like this." An apprentice near the back of the room muttered. He was one of the Magi of Shadow's apprentices, and was quickly punched in the arm by one of the older apprentices for mouthing off.  
  
"There is no perfect being in this world or any other world, save for perhaps an actual god." Cadriel answered. "We are all flawed, just like any other toon. It is not our fault Angelo could not accept that, and began to push the idea through the Council we _must_ be perfect. Some of us tried to dissuade him but.. He would not be dissuaded." He looked away, remembering the arguments, the admonishments, his allies in the argument slowly falling away one by one and simply bowing to the older, stronger angel's opinion. "He is no longer the angel he once was."  
  
"You can say that again." Another muttered quip from the shadow apprentice, who was quickly punched again.  
  
"Alice." Cadriel turned his gaze to the angel. "You said you knew the human, did you not? How well did you know him?"  
  
"I- I would say fairly well." Alice offered. "We traveled together for several weeks, and talked a lot but.. Lumi would know him better."  
  
"The giant bird thing the Science Council got their mitts on?" Roger questioned.  
  
"It is no mere bird." The Master of Elements rumbled. "It's a Dracostryx. An ancient species we no longer have in our country due to terrible decisions of the past. If there are any who still live in Tunis, they have hidden themselves well from toons, and rightfully so."  
  
"What happened?" Alice questioned, confused.  
  
"..." The Master of Elements paused, glancing to Cadriel, the only one who knew the past as well as he did. After a moment, the angel nodded. Despite how mouthy some of them were, he knew the individuals well enough to decide they were ready for this news. Alice already knew about Dracostryx as it was, and she would inevitably begin to search for answers. He could see it in her eyes. The news of what had happened to Perci had knocked her down, but it hadn't taken her out permanently. She would be back on her feet soon enough.  
  
"Long ago, Tunis was not this lone country in a lone world like we have today." The master began. "It was the sister country of Wyvera, separated by the sea to the west. The countries had a great friendship, and humans and toons freely traveled between the countries, sharing their knowledge and advancements as they did. As such, Dracostryx were as common in Tunis as they are in present day Wyvera.." He began the lengthy tale, the entire group crowding around to listen in intently. This was not something many of a low level in the Magical Council would learn, nor was it something even some of the angels of higher standing would know.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chap will be up in a couple minutes or maybe a bit longer if i get distracted  
> maybe 30 mins tops


	26. Complications with a dash of hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> ++=++  
> ITS a double post day, so make sure you don't skip a chapter accidentally

  
It was late in the night when Henry and Betty returned, the group on edge as they waited for them. None of them could sleep, not with everything that had happened prior. They had fled their homes, pursued by _armed_ angels, ones intent on not putting up with any amount of resistance. Ones that had pursued them mercilessly, until Skoldolfr had downed nearly every one of the pursuing angels.  
  
They returned with Betty on Sigurd's back, and more toons than just themselves, something that put the group on edge until they received an explanation. The pair had initially gotten lost, which was what took so much time, twisting Betty's ankle in the process. Sigurd had been a great help once that happened, and with Betty partly out of commission they had literally walked into the little town without realizing it.  
  
The town had been in an uproar long before they reached it, toons swarming about like ants from an overturned hill. From them they received confirmation that control of Silvi had been _seized_ by force by a number of angels from Castle city, which was firmly under their control as things stood. A warning had been sent out via the radio and a TV station newscaster, in defiance of the angels commands, setting the alarm off for much of Tunis, even such a small town like theirs.  
  
Sigurd had caught a great deal of attention, and Betty even more as several of the older villagers approached her, recognizing an old friend. It had only taken them several minutes to reveal the entire town was fleeing, preferring life on the run to bowing to Angelic oppression. And they were headed for The Redwoods.  
  
"So we came to an agreement." Betty declared. "Our group and their group would unite as one. There is power in numbers, and they are willing to share as much as they can for the protection the Dracostryx can provide. Especially that handsome bat that knocked out so many angels, toons have been talking about him all over the air waves."  
  
Skoldolfr's ears flick up at the mention of him, before falling back in embarrassment, a flush spreading across the inside of his ears, the only visible area of exposed flesh on the bat. He quietly shuffled his wings as the townsfolk approached to 'oh' and 'ah' at the birds, agreeing it was definitely a sound deal. Star Struck's size alone, and the feat that Skoldolfr had pulled off, was more than enough to convince them to seal the deal.  
  
From there the group had followed Sigurd and the toons back to the town, which was so well hidden in the forest that most of them didn't even realize they were walking up on it until they were inside of it. There was still a flurry of action in the town, most of their goods piled up into carts pulled by large horses, and even a couple deer. There was enough room, however, for the new toons to find seats, and for Pippen to work on basic tack for Sigurd, Saturnine, and Beowulf.  
  
There was even some talk of pulling out more to make armor for the birds, but Pippen knew to do so would require too much time and be too difficult. She could get the rough saddles together quickly while they were moving in the carts, and have them ready if needed, but armor required a bit more time, and precision for it to be effective. But she could use the rest of their travel time slowly improving the saddle tack for the sake of anyone who had to ride using them, and for her Stryx.  
  
Pippen ended up in a cart with Susie and Boris, the cup boys appearing moments later as they were deposited onto the cart, the villagers rushing to flee. The imp had just rushed over and sat down in the wagon she had been pointed to that had the leather in it for her to work with, without thinking about who she would end up with. She could see Henry and Bendy being bundled into another wagon nearby, Bendy irritably snapping at the panicked toons as he was chucked into the back of a wagon, the toon smacking the side to send it off. She'd have to try and get a better seat whenever they stopped.  
  
Her Stryx automatically sorted themselves out in a defensive array around the caravan, use to this kind of work. Sunna was close to a number of mountain passes on the western side, leading into the northern lands that weren't Wyvera, and merchants would often pay for the mountain ranch to help defend their goods as they traversed the perilous lands between the countries.  
  
Star Struck would walk alongside the front of the caravan, occasionally flying over the caravan, slowly circling it to check over everything, his massive form deterring any attackers from considering approaching them, and helping to keep an eye over the tree line. Sigurd paced along the front of the caravan, sharp eyes peeled for danger and beak ready to spill a warning cry if need be, while Beowulf worked the middle, processing every bit of information Star Struck passed to him with each pass.  
  
Skoldolfr was on the ground for now, taking up the rear with Glory, the large pair keeping pace with the caravan, sharp senses straining for signs of a rear attack. If need be, Skoldolfr could be in the air far faster than Glory, and while he was not as physically strong as the Harpia, he was far faster and more agile.  
  
Finally there was Saturnine, the owl flying over the caravan's midsection. She was just low enough to mostly avoid detection, while still keeping an eye on their surroundings, ready to drop to the back or fly to the front to spread a message to the toons if need be. Her presence was one of constant calm to those around her, and helped to settle the nerves of many of the hunting village toons.  
  
Pippen trusted the six of them to take up the task of defenders and carry it with pride, knowing their combined training and experience would not fail them. They would likely not need a beast master at the helm unless the situation became more complex. It gave her plenty of time to work on the saddles, knowing the measurements for the birds she traveled so frequently with by heart.  
  
"Wow, you can really work that leather fast." Cuphead muttered, watching as Pippen's hands flew confidently across her work. To him it was amazing, but for her it was frustrating to know she would be giving her birds subpar work. But it was the best that could be done with the situation. She paused, looking up with a nervous grin.  
  
"Ah-ha, yeah. We were put to work making saddles and repairing them when I was training at Moonli Ranch with Gru to be a Stryx breeder." She offered, a bit awkwardly. She didn't know the cup boys, but they likely knew things about _her_ thanks to Glory.  
  
"How long did that take?" Mugman asked, perking up with curiosity.  
  
"Oh..? It took.." Pippen paused as she re-threaded the thick leather strings through her needle. "Ah.. Five years? But we were working on the ranch as part of our agreement with Madame Agatha. That and we started when we were eleven, and we weren't really old enough to be doing business on our own. Really, our training was more or less completed on our third year, but we stayed because we had nowhere else to go, and Moonli Ranch paid good wages. We had.. Plans. For the mountain to the east.."  
  
"That's Sunna, right?" Mugman asked once more, Pippen nodding.  
  
Cuphead smiled a bit in excitement, quickly speaking up. "Glory told us that you and your friend Gru took on a monster for rights to the mountain and won! He said you did it with a blind owl too!"  
  
"Ah- Wow, how much did he tell you?" Pippen questioned, flushing a bit. "We did. There was a void beast on Sunna, one that had been plaguing the mountains for years. Void beast are.. Beings tainted by the void that are not on the same intelligence level as you or I. They were just.. Common beasts, until a void cult got ahold of them. They.. I'm not sure what it is they do precisely, but I know it goes against the gods. They're rites are forbidden and outlawed for a reason in Wyvera. But they perform their forbidden rites and torment the poor beast until it's gone mad, it's body corrupted and twisted by the void influence."  
  
"Void beast, and those exposed to void influence from void cultists and the like, can't keep a consistent form. The worst the exposure, the more of themselves they loose. They become a constantly twisting, moving goo like substance, with a sort of oddly shaped internal core, but you have to wear away the void goo to get to it. That's the trouble. You can't really touch it without being hurt. You need something blessed by the gods, or to trap them in a place blessed by the gods, to strip the 'goo' and end them." Pippen rattled off, working away at the last of the large portion of the first saddle. She could work on the smaller details once the main portion of each had been prepped.  
  
"That's crazy." Cuphead murmured. He suddenly grinned, holding his fist up a bit in excitement. "And you killed one?!"  
  
"Yeah." Pippen answered. "With a good plan, and a whole lot of luck." She fell silent after that, focusing on her work.  
  
"Well don't leave us hanging!" Cuphead practically shouted, eyes glancing to them. Pippen jumped at his words, looking to him in confusion.  
  
"Give us details! Please!" Mugman added. "Glory's told us all kind of stories of things you've done together, but he never got to tell us this one!"  
  
"A story would make the work go by faster." Susie offered diplomatically, reminding Pippen she was there, quietly watching over them. Out of everyone who had recently learned everything, Susie had been the nicest and most understanding. She had stopped the others when they had started to push and pry in directions unnecessary for them to understand the current event. Along with Bendy, she had helped play defense for Pippen, who felt like she didn't have much room to deny them answers as she was verbally pushed and pried at from all directions.   
  
"Ah.. Well.. I guess I could.." Pippen murmured, flushing a bit. Everyone was still so leery of her, and she was fairly certain most of them didn't even believe most of her claims. Her word and Saturnine's words to be more specific, but that was to be expected. She hadn't even known about the war until Saturnine had told them yesterday.. But it made sense. At least, it explained the distrust between toons and humans, a distrust that spread to the other Wyverian subsets to varying degrees. A war had a way of leaving lasting impressions on a people.. But how would a war between friendly countries happen so quickly?  
  
The cup boys scooted closer, eyes sparkling with excitement, Susie quietly shifting into a new position to be a bit closer as well. Pippen spent several moments stitching the second saddle as she tried to decide where to start. After a moment, she began to speak.  
  
"Alright. So.. This happened maybe.. Six years ago? When I was fifteen, and Gru was about eighteen. He thinks he's three years older than me, but his grasp on time is loose because the man who raised him was basically a hermit. Treated him well, treated him like an actual son, but they lived alone so Gru sort of lost track of time. Anyway, we had already agreed that we wanted to be business partners, breeding Stryx together. We'd been working together since I was eleven, when we.. met. We left some terrible circumstances together, and from there we lived in the wilds for a while, until we found our way to Moonli Ranch." Pippen began.  
  
"Work was hard on the ranch, especially while we were getting to a proper weight and the like, the situation we left didn't leave either of us in the healthiest circumstances, though we improved while we were in the wilds, even though food was scant. It was a bad time of year to be running around, even with what Gru knew of surviving in the wilds. We found a nest, a Dracostryx nest with two eggs and a.. Dead mother. We took them in and.. The wisp of the mother lead us to Moonli. I don't know why. Maybe she was guided by a higher power. Maybe my parents pulled a favor from beyond the grave. Maybe she just wanted her children to survive and saw us as the best means to ensure that."  
  
"But we reached Moonli. Started training. It was rough going. He was a full toon, and while people couldn't tell with certainty that I was half toon off the bat, but they could tell I'm wasn't a full human-" Pippen continued, focusing on her work as she talked.  
  
"Hold on, how couldn't they tell you're part toon?" Mugman asked, bowing his head and apologizing for interrupting. "You look.. Very clearly like a toon."  
  
"Well.. In Wyvera I.. Didn't look like this.." Pippen hesitantly offered. "I don't know why, but when I came through to Tunis, I shifted to this form. I- I didn't even know I could. I mean, Dad once mentioned something about me possibly having a more flexible form than what we initially thought, since that's one of the skills he had. He wasn't a very talented shapeshifter, but he could hide his wings and tail when he wanted to, and said he put on a human disguise once or twice.."  
  
"I've heard dark type toons are flexible with their forms. Most of them can shapeshift to some degree or another, if they practice enough.. Some inherently have second forms." Susie offered.  
  
"When we fought The Devil, he did a bunch of shape changing! He turned into a spider and a dragon, and a goat." Cuphead listed off.  
  
"I guess that makes sense.." Pippen mumbled. "But before I knew about this form, I had always lived with the form I was born with. I was human, but my horns and tail showed, and always have. So it wasn't the easiest time for us. But we managed. We did chores and tasks assigned to us by the ranch and the trainers, and when Cecil and Gavan hatched things got a bit more complicated but we managed."  
  
"The entire time, no one went to Sunna Mountain, or even near it. No one is really sure _how_ such a large void beast managed to evade the detection of the groups put together by the crown to track down and destroy Void cultist and their creations, but it had and we couldn't get anyone out there to deal with it. It was strong, and had killed two dispatched units from the City of Sol as it was. The only thing keeping it from rampaging across the valley and fields between the mountains was a barrier the last group had put in that trapped it on the mountain. But it was a high priority location, despite the reluctance to send another group out to deal with the beast."  
  
"There were plenty of untapped resources, plenty of ore and the like, and a lot of animals had been displaced due to trying to evade the Void Beast, which was making a mess of things with every year it carried on. Natural migrations were messed with, some species became endangered, it was whole mess. The entire mountain was basically unlivable thanks to the void beasts presence. It would warp the vegetation when it stayed in one place long enough, and it's corrupting aura drove away the other animals out of a natural self preservation instinct. So there was a bounty on the beast. Whoever killed it would be given ownership of the mountain, to develop it as they saw fit. There were some strings attached, since there always is when the government's involved, but it wasn't anything ridiculous. Mostly just legalize to keep the new owners from getting out of hand and playing like they were their own sovereign nation or something, or giving the mountain territory to another country."  
  
The boys were sitting quietly, Mugman attentive and Cuphead bored, though the background information seemed important. Susie was listening attentively, though she was watching the woods beside the cart they rode in. At least they didn't have to worry about gasoline and roads, like with a car, but riding a cart was.. odd to say the least for a toon like herself, who had always lived in the city.  
  
"But, to the point, since I can see Cuphead is dying of boredom." She grinned a bit as Cuphead flushed, continuing. "We spent four years looking out over the width of the valley at that other mountain. A perfect place to rear Stryx if you were hardy enough to deal with the local weather, which would be the same as on Moonli. Four years to collect information on the Void Beast, bits and pieces from survivors who had barely dodged death, from merchants, and from those who had heard tales of how other Void Beast operated. Four years to notice that there was a slice of land along the Northeast of the mountain, a slice most believed to be of the Bad Lands and subsequently would be subject to the dangerous wild magic of the Bad Lands. Four years to realize that ravine on that slice of land was just on the _edge_ of the Bad Lands, and could be safely flown through without worrying about being torn apart by one of the magic storms that form over the Bad Lands."  
  
"So, we hatched a plan. Gru was really hesitant, and thought that we should leave matters to the professionals, but like I told him, if there was any 'professional' able to deal with this matter they would have already dealt with it. Fact was, no one wanted to come up to some forgotten corner of Wyvera so far away from most everything else, and mostly inhabited by Noktus folk. A lot of the Noktus people are nomadic, so they are moving from place to place with the time of year. It makes the idea of setting up businesses and encouraging towns and villages to form around the reclaimed land unappealing."  
  
"Now, we waited for a very specific day, the day of a full solar eclipse. Like Saturnine said last night, the days of an eclipse are the most powerful days to invoke both Diaus and Nokt at the same time, be it a solar or lunar eclipse. It is a moment where both Gods power are equally present in that moment-" Pippen continued, pausing as Cuphead cut in.  
  
"Wait, what do you mean equally present? Aren't they gods?" Cuphead demanded.  
  
"Yes, but they both have a point where they are at their most powerful in the world. For Daius, that is during the day, wherever the sun is touching the earth he is at full power. Where ever it is night, Nokt is at her strongest. As such both are constantly at full strength, but it varies depending on the time of day, or so we're taught. That doesn't mean the gods can't push their boundaries if they feel the need to do so, if they are truly moved by the desire to save a mortal or prevent something from happening, or ensure something happens, but the best time to contact the god is in the presence of or during something that aligns with one of their primordial alignments."  
  
" Diaus' alignments are light, places of high primal light magic concentrations, daytime, things that invoke the sun, war, and certain types of art." Pippen dutifully explained. "Nokt's alignments are the dark, places of high concentrations of primal dark magic concentrations, night time, things that invoke the moon, rebirth, and the cycle of life."  
  
"Primal?" Mugman questioned softly.  
  
"What about that other one? The moth one." Cuphead added.  
  
"Primal magic refers to magic that is not under the command of any being. It is a wild force that simply _exists_ , untainted by conscious beings emotions, particularly negative emotions. It's very rare to encounter primal magic, especially in high concentrations, save for in secretive places unseen by most conscious beings, or so I've been told. From how it was explained to me, it's believed primal magic, in all it's varying types _except_ life magic, and the meeting of life magic, is the basis for all the magical types of beings that exist, in all their forms and blends of types. It's believed by some philosophers to be part of the basis for all life, along with several other things, but I only ever paid so much attention to philosophy.." Pippen flushed, trailing off. "I usually focus on things that can be used in the present, keep the birds healthy and the ranch safely afloat, you know?"  
  
"Most people are like that." Susie offered. "It's a reasonable stance, especially given what Saturnine spoke of Wyvera last night."  
  
"Yeah.. But, anyway, the 'moth one' is Galyx, and they're the most important of the gods. They stand above Daius and Nokt in importance, though their presence is felt less by the general populace. At least, that we notice. Galyx is.. Sort of a enigma. They align with life as well, but in a deeper way than Nokt, not just the cycles of life and rebirth, but the basis of life itself. They also align with the galaxy, fate, moths, and most people argue with twilight or the stars. Like I said, it's a bit up in the air. What we understand is that they are always watching, but how much they interfere or interact with mortals is hard to say. They're a rather secretive god, and while it's said that they speak through moths, it's not _every_ moth you see that has a message for you. It's.. more of a feel. Something you realize in the moment _while_ a moth is there, doing something, or looking weird. It's hard to explain."  
  
"But.. Back to the story. We planned the attack on an eclipse. We were going to use a Lantern of the Sun and a Lantern of the Moon to draw the beast out into pursuing us, since all void tainted beings loath anything that represents the gods. We were going to fly down the mountain and trick it into the ravine, and from there lead it down the length of it, letting it beat itself up in it's frenzy as it went. Once we reached the end, we would open the lanterns and drop them to purify the ground. Theoretically, it would either kill the beast, or at least burn away the void taint to reach the core and destroy it. We were going to fly together through the entire thing but.. It didn't go entirely to plan."  
  
"It didn't?" Mugman echoed.  
  
"No.." Pippen murmured, pausing.  
  
\------  
  
  
_"As they say, Daius favors the bold!" Pippen declared as she hopped onto Cecil's back, the young Tyto screeching a short, defiant cry, working himself up for what was to come. On one side of the saddle, a simple looking lantern was attached to his tack, glowing a deep orange.  
  
"And Nokt pities the fools." Gru dryly mumble, slowly sliding onto the back of his Hawk, Gavan. The albino hawk looked up to him with pale blue eyes, squawking softly. They could handle this. They had a plan and the gods at their back! All they needed to do was make sure things were timed right.  
  
"They won't be pitying us if you keep your head on." Pippen quipped, glancing to Gru. He had the glowing lantern of Nokt, a deep blue glow coming from it, the dull tingle of the gods blessing on both lanterns. It hadn't been easy getting this from the priests, but they had managed to pull some strings, and with some help from a friend lower on the mountain named Mamun, they had gotten ahold of both. They had checked the ravine twice, making sure it truly was outside of the danger zone, and had reviewed their information on the Void Beasts, comparing notes. Everything was in place.  
  
"They will be if you over estimate our abilities.." Gru mumbled.  
  
"Hey, look. At the worst, we have to flee but we leave that thing trapped in the ravine. That will make a second shot at it easier." Pippen offered.  
  
"No, at the worst possible event is we both die, or one of our Stryx are taken down-" Gru countered, ears falling back as Pippen and Cecil took off. Ever since he had mentioned the approaching eclipse, she had been dead set on this plan. A patch of land purified by the gods would be even more powerful under the effect of an eclipse, and would weaken the beast thoroughly. It was a once in a lifetime chance, given the rarity of natural eclipses.  
  
He and Gavan were in the air moments later, the hawks pink beak and talons a sharp contract to his perfectly white coat. Even without the lanterns, they would likely draw a great deal of attention from their coloration alone. It was mid-fall, the trees that did carry leaves were barren, leaving the branches plain and easy to dodge..  
  
If you could **see** them. Cecil.. Cecil was blind, and had been his entire life. Pippen had trained him diligently, both the bird and herself, to adapt and overcome his lack of eyesight and.. He was an impressive flier, he hadn't been in such a stressful situation before. How would the owl hold up against a beast unlike any the pair of brothers had encountered so far in their lives?  
  
There was no saying, as they flew across the valley to Sunna mountain, the lanterns covered to avoid drawing attention to themselves. If anyone were to look out and see them, they would think the pair had set off for a late hunt or scavenging trip, or were going to watching the eclipse in privacy. It wouldn't be odd for them to avoid parties or celebrations where all the ranch would be present. They only had so many friends on the mountain, or the ranch, and most of the others were either leery of them for their blood, disliked them due to disagreements or past incidents, were there teachers, or strangers.  
  
A thrill of danger and excitement darted through the group as they passed the magical barrier around the mountain. They head northward, hoping to find the Void Beast there, which would make it easier to draw it into their trap. Even if it wasn't in that area, it soon would be with the invasion of two items blessed by the gods in it's territory.  
  
The mountain forest below was unnaturally quiet and still, no animals present. No bears, wolves, birds, small rodents.. Nothing. The plants were overgrown and untouched in many areas, silently fighting with other plants for space and resources, straining to live without the natural competition trimming of herbivores. It was truly empty, save for one cursed beast.  
  
They were alone for fifteen minutes, Gru silently counting down the amount of time they had to the eclipse. If they didn't get this thing after them soon, they would be off-  
  
A low howl echoed through the woods, the sound of **something** moving through the woods towards them. An overwhelming sense of wrongness hit all four of them, their breathing unconsciously picking up pace. Something dark and formless, moving almost fluidly, was rapidly approaching them from higher up the mountain, throwing it's goo like form ahead of itself into legs that temporarily formed to propel them forward. Jagged faces appeared on it's bulbous form, snarling wolves, snapping Harpias, snakes with fangs barred, all manner of predators faces appeared along the surface, never remaining for long, constantly in motion and moving between all these options, sometimes landing on something in between, the constant change a disorienting and terrifying sight. It was simply **wrong**. No being should be able to do this-  
  
"GO, GO!" Pippen's shout cut through the fear, spurring Gru and Gavan into motion.  
  
Cecil was terrified by the aura of the beast, but without his ability to see, he could not see how it defied common nature, the strange shapes and angles it would take between faces, the hatred in each face. He flew confidently through the air, aware of his brother close by, the steady shh-shh of their wings, the hiss of the air through the branches, around the pine needles, across the ground and through the dead leaves. The beat of his heart, of Gavan's heart, the fluid sound of the beast that pursued them, the thump of it's heavy form across the ground-  
  
Gavan screamed, the hawk shooting upwards, high from the beast and out of range. Out of it's field of interest as well. If they tried to fly above it out of reach, it would not chase them. Most of the larger Void Beasts followed this pattern from what information they had collected. By Gru couldn't find the will to stop Gavan as they flew outside of the beast's aura, their eyes pinpricks of terror.  
  
Pippen and Cecil stayed the course, partially out of defiant courage, and partially out of the fact that Pippen could not bring herself to give any commands through the terror that had overtaken her. She had underestimated the power of the beast's aura, the psychological influence of it's unnatural form and motions. Cecil, terrified but unable to process a portion of the beasts tactics, was not as effected as the others, and it was through his will alone initially that they continued this mission.  
  
Cecil dove into the ravine as they reached it, the maddened beast pursuing them. It fell into the ravine, scarcely missing the pair as they flew to the side, beginning the long path of the ravine. Above them, Gru and Gavan were following them, ashamed to have cowered in the presence of the beast, but determined to support them through the rest of the plan. They were on track for the eclipse, they were making time, they would reach the drop off into the pit at the end just as the eclipse began. The pair were steadily flying lower and lower, intent on rejoining the chase-  
  
The beast shrieked again, a film of void energy exploding from it's form, covering the top of the ravine, stopping the older pair short. Pippen looked up, seeing she and Cecil were trapped, the film of void energy keeping perfect pace with them. They may have trapped the beast in the ravine, but it had trapped **them** as well. They had to see this through, or else. See furiously signaled for Gru and Gavan to cut ahead, instead of following the curve of the ravine like she and Cecil were forced to. Without both lanterns, they weren't sure they'd be able to get through this-.  
  
The white hawk disappeared, leaving the blind Tyto and their half-human rider to fly the ravine, dodging lashing tentacles of void energy that erupted from the beast's form. It was hard to look at the beast, but Pippen had too so she could warn Cecil. Between her warnings, and his naturally sharp ears, only enhanced by the lack of eyesight, they were dodging the strikes but the varying widths of points in the ravine was making this task harder as the beast grew more and more enraged by the continued evasion.  
  
Above them, through the film of void energy, the light was slowly dimming, the disk of the moon slowly moving over to greet the sun. They were so close to the drop off, it was a mere moments away, but the beast was starting to lower the void energy barrier, trying to entrap them with the burning touch of the barrier. It was getting closer and closer, and dodging the tentacles was becoming harder and harder, but suddenly they were **there**. The ground dropped away beneath them into a wide pit, the perfect arena-  
  
A lantern glowing deep blue dropped past them as the sky went black, Pippen dropping the second lantern the moment she saw it, both lanterns falling after one another. As the beast dropped behind them Cecil dove as well, the boost in speed allowing him to fly past the barrier's range, moving up and over it. They flew up, reaching Gavan and Gru as the lanterns collided with the ground moments before the beast. A silent prayer escaped all four of them as the lanterns burst, the lights spreading out naturally.. And then exploding outwards. The bottom of the ravine pit was coated in orange and blue light, a massive crescent of blue intermingling with a disk of orange that rested in it's curve.  
  
The void essence surrounding the beast hissed and spit as it hit the ground, a terrible howl escaping the monster as it's barrier was shredded. In moments it had shrunk in size, now a bit smaller than the average Harpia, it's form sharp and angular, a cacophony of limbs attached to a square body, all of wildly varying lengths. It shrieked again, a bulging eye on the top of it's head glaring at them hatefully, it's limbs scrabbling helplessly at the side walls, unable to find purchase on the smooth wall to climb upwards.  
  
"This is it!" Pippen shouted, swallowing her fear and coaxing Cecil into a dive. He didn't hesitate, even though the sound of the wind around the beast's odd body and the sounds coming from it were confusing, following Pippen's guidance to angle in for an attack. The first leg snapped away like a brittle twig, falling the the ground and disintegrating. One came up to strike the attackers, only to be snapped away as well as Gavan and Gru countered the attack.  
  
The pair of Stryx mercilessly tore limb after limb from the beast, no blood escaping it's wounded form as it slowly shrank. They tore at it's flailing limbs, dodging it's strikes even as it grew more frenzied, slashing it's core body and legs whenever they had the chance. Once it had no more legs, it hit the ground, it's flesh bubbling as it's core touched the ground. Horrible shrieks escaped it for several moments, before it abruptly split apart like a corrupted flower, the pieces falling to the ground and melting to nothingness.  
  
As they watched, a single glittering wisp erupted from the ground, the small wisp of a stag, the spirit flying with joy, away from the ground and towards the lightening sky. The blessing on the ground slowly faded, no longer empowered by the eclipse, and totally spent in ending the beast. Above them, several other Stryx and rider's were present, including Agatha and La Lune, drawn in by the terrible sounds of the beasts, and the odd behavior of two of their oldest students.._  
  
\---------  
  
"Wow.." Mugman murmured as Pippen ended the story, staring at her.  
  
"What happened next? Did you have a big party?!" Cuphead asked.  
  
"No." Pippen answered. "Well.. Technically yes, we did. That is, after Agatha beat the hell out of both of us for the stunt. We could have easily died, or it could have gotten free of it's boundaries, or really any number of things and we told no one what we were going to do, because we didn't want them to get in the way and Agatha was furious we had risked our lives without asking for help or advice, and bringing only two Stryx and so on. Bruised us up pretty bad. I'd rather fight that Void Beast again than upset her that much again if I'm honest. But after that, the mountain was ours. We had to go through some legal stuff, a trip to the big city, but it was ours. Once we were sixteen, we started building the ranch with money we had saved up, and a loan from Agatha. I mean, she didn't dislike the idea of us as her neighbors, she was just mad with how we did things."  
  
"Oh.." Cuphead muttered.  
  
"I'm glad Elder Kettle didn't do that when we beat the devil.." Mugman mumbled.  
  
"I think she was just upset we nearly got ourselves killed. Agatha doesn't take to a lot of people, but she seems to like me and Gru well enough. And we were sort of at that weird stage where we were kind of kids, but kind of not, and it's just messy." Pippen offered, shrugging. "I mean, she could have done worse. She certainly threatened worse to both of us afterwards, though she's never carried through, even though we've upset her a couple times since then. But that's basically the story."  
  
She had managed to finish two saddles completely, and was on the third now. The story _had_ helped time go a bit faster, and some of the nearer carts had listened in as well. It was late into the night now, and the group near the front was debating on stopping now that they had put some space between them and Silvi. They needed to speak with Pippen on scheduling the Stryx guard to avoid exhausting them and having times they were without defense, and to sort out who would go to other towns to warn them, and which paths they wanted to try and take to The Redwoods.  
  
  
\---------  
  
  
It was another hour before the caravan stopped in a sheltered alcove to rest and plan their next move. The plan was to only rest for most of the early hours and morning, before pushing on through the rest of the day, and resting through the night, sticking to a diurnal pattern the majority of them were used to. The heads of households and the mayor of the town were gathered to speak, and Pippen soon found herself invited to join them, along with Betty, the wolf representing their group while Pippen was there to represent her birds.  
  
Setting out a plan of attack was fairly easy, at least when it came to the Stryx. All but Saturnine, Sigurd, and Skoldolfr were crepuscular, and trained to flex into diurnal or nocturnal time slots if need be. Of the three, Saturnine and Sigurd were nocturnal, while Skoldolfr was diurnal in spite of being a bat Stryx. Rare but not unheard of.  
  
Irregardless, the schedule was easy to work out. Sigurd, Saturnine and Glory would work the night shifts, sleeping during the day, with the Harpia sleeping on a larger cart that was cleared out for him. During the day, Skoldolfr, Beowulf, and Star Struck would watch over the caravan as it moved, with the night crew ready to wake up and assist if need be, and vice versa. Three birds would be able to watch over the caravan at it's current size and they wouldn't have to figure out how to haul a massive Gryph around.  
  
The only concern was how much the caravan may expand as they traveled, the toons from the town speaking of alerting other towns. They would have to set up more guards other than just the Stryx if they wanted to keep things safe, though for the moment they could get away with just the Stryx guard, and the scant number of volunteer guards they currently had. Some of the representatives started being a bit difficult about the birds limitations and questioning her certainty, in spite of her familiarity with her birds and these kind of jobs.  
  
She walked away before the talk was over, leaving Betty and the others to sort out paths, given her limited knowledge of Tunis and the various politics of towns and villages. She walked to the cart Red had been placed in, checking in on the young Harpia to make sure he was OK. Bendy was already there, tending to the bird, something that silently thrilled and relieved her. She wouldn't have to search for him and to see him tending to the Harpia was more than a little relieving. It sent a fresh shot of hope through her, in spite of her irritation.  
  
"Heya Dollface!" Bendy greeted as he noticed her, tapping the cart to invite her to sit next to him. She scrabbled onto the cart, eyes tired. It was more than just a physical exhaustion, but a mental one as well. She had barely had any time to get over the fright of Henry and Bendy discovering her secret before everything had just.. Fallen in on itself. All of a sudden, everything was upturned, and more and more toons knew her secret, and not just ones she had chosen because she trusted them, like she originally intended. Now a dozen toons knew her secret, and several she couldn't be sure would keep their mouths shut for long.  
  
"You OK?" Bendy asked after a moment, Pippen snapping out of her minor panic and looking up to him, forcing a smile.  
  
"I'm fine." She lied, a familiar, easy lie. They didn't have time for her-  
  
"No you aren't." Bendy countered, crossing his arms with disapproval. Her smile was like plastic and stiff, leaving her eyes empty and bereft of any real happiness or joy. "And lying won't get you anywhere. How are you really feeling?"  
  
She paused, guilt flashing in her eyes. She hadn't meant to lie to him, but it was always her answer in situations like these. They were too complex for her to get emotional and start breaking down. And yet, as she met his eyes, she couldn't get the words out to form another lie.  
  
"I'm-..." Another pause. "Tired. Not just physically. We are all. But.. Mentally.." She looked away, a hand going to her arm to rub it unconsciously. "I.. It scared me a lot when you and Henry showed up in Glory's cave. It scared me when Glory took us and ran away and when the Butcher Gang.." She trailed off paling, shaking her head. She managed a weak smile, expression still guilty. "But then I was so relieved when we managed to talk things out and.. I thought things would be better. I didn't have to lie to you guys anymore. It was like a weight off my back but.. Now everyone knows."  
  
"And not everyone is using their head." Bendy mumbled.  
  
"No, they're using their heads." Pippen murmured. "They're right to distrust me. I've been living a lie for months. I've.. I've been a mo-"  
  
_"You're not."_ Bendy cut in sharply, seeing where the conversation was going. "You're just a person. A complex person whose more different than most, but.. You're a person. It's not like they have no secrets, like they're all perfectly innocent. They've all done things they aren't proud of but felt they had to do, so they have no place riding around on their high horses like they are."  
  
Pippen managed a smile, one that was more real, gratitude in her eyes. Having Bendy to talk to definitely helped, even if they approached things from different stances. For some reason it was easier to talk to him, especially now that she was free of the lies she had been hiding behind for so long.  
  
"But I haven't told them everything, for a long period of time. I'm a stranger who showed up in a tight knit community, and just kept bringing more and more change. I'm.. Not entirely the same type of being as them, but at the same time I am partially the same being as them. I'm this weird, in the middle territory, one that nobody in Tunis or Wyvera is really familiar with. I'm.. I guess something new, but sometimes new things aren't good." Pippen stated in a small, tired voice.  
  
"But sometimes new things are good. Sometimes they're one of the greatest new things to come into your life." Bendy murmured, a hand covering her own, his head bumping hers as he tried to look into her eyes, her own head bowed. "Besides, we're constantly seeing new things, things are constantly changing. It's part of life. That doesn't make change or new things bad."  
  
"Really?" Pippen hummed, slowly flipping her hand over to wrap around his.  
  
"Yes." Bendy stated confidently, lacing his fingers around hers. He scooted closer to her, nuzzling his forehead to hers. "Listen, I know things are going to be complicated. I know there are going to be challenges. But we can manage it. I've got you, and you got me."  
  
Pippen looked up to him, eyes sparkling and slightly wet. She smiled, a real smile this time, nodding as she struggled to find the words as emotions clogged her throat. She pressed closer, murmuring a soft 'thank you' to him, the Devil nuzzling closer and smiling as well, though his eyes were worried. He had never seen her so beaten down before, not even when they first met and she found out about the impossibility of delivering her letter. Her eyes were just.. So scared, and so tired, and he wanted to take away her fears and give her a moment of peace. It was the least he could offer. He couldn't really fight or cast much in the way of magic, and he didn't have any secret skills beyond most common devils.. But he would try.  
  



	27. Among the spirits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> +======================+  
> Sorry this took so long to get this chapter out, but it's a big part and I was a bit hesitant and wanted to take a bit more time with it to make sure it came out in a way I liked

  
The next couple days went.. Fairly smoothly for the caravan. With information gathered by scouts who went ahead to gather, they managed to avoid towns that pledged their loyalty to the Angelic Council, or were fully taken over. This also subsequently meant the refugee caravan picked up a couple additions here and there, but not so much they strained the Dracostryxs' ability to provide a proper guard.  
  
Not yet at least.  
  
She was still having some difficulties, but Pippen had managed to convince many of the caravan members to set up an additional toon guard as a 'secondary precaution' as she put it. In reality, they couldn't just leave this matter to six birds. They could only do so much, and with everything happening they all needed to be on guard. Fortunately, when she went around personally to talk to toons about this, most agreed, and soon they had a proper guard set up among the caravan to go alongside the Stryx guard.  
  
Bendy had helped, his charisma helping immensely. He was able to slide in and smooth things over when the conversation started to get choppy and toons started panicking at the slightest hint that they _weren_ 't safe, in spite their draconic guard. Between both of them, but mostly Bendy, they would get the person to calm down and see things reasonably. Most were just on edge because of everything that had happened but they quickly learned the root of the problem with Pippen's approach..  
  
Some toons had learned Pippen's secret. And it was spreading. Just as they were wrapping up discussing the guard matter with a reasonable group, she was confronted on her secret, only spreading it further.  
  
It was the most stressful aspect of this entire venture so far, and the moment the confrontation began she had wanted to grab Bendy, hop on Skoldolfr, and run. That or prepare for an actual fight, embers flicking around her shaking hands. The toon in question was instantly hostile and unreasonable, terrified by everything that had happened and looking for a scape goat. A human, even a half human, in their midst was the perfect target, and they had been on her in moments.  
  
She had scarcely known what was going on until they were in her face, standing over her and shouting at her, blaming her for the Angelic Council attacking Silvi. She was a _human_ , a dirty _monster_ , and that had provoked the attack. She had to be planning something, and she and her birds were the work agents of The Devil, or some other evil force. Silvi was close to Inkwell Isle after all, and something had gone down on the isles recently-  
  
Pippen hadn't the slightest idea where to begin as this toon shouted his brazen theory at her, the stress and fear overwhelming and choking her. In moments much of the caravan was turning to look at her, whispers exploding between them. She was an imp, and The Devil was known to employ a lot of imps. A dark type toon like her, with these strange birds, coming from who knows where. Why were they trusting her? None of them knew her-  
  
Henry and Bendy had stepped in to help her and try defuse the situation, attesting to the months they had known her. Boris and Betty came to bat as well, making it clear they knew her as well, for the same span of time as Henry and Bendy. Susie stood up as well to point out that Pippen had been taken in by the Angelic Council briefly for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they had not detected any sign of her serving a more powerful Demon, something that would have been an excuse for further detainment, given the current situation between The Devil and the Angelic Council..  
  
"The Devil on Inkwell Isle?" Pippen questioned once she finally regained her voice, the accusing toon looking to her with a glare. His glare faded at the next words however. "Glory helped the cup boys beat him up. Why would one of my Stryx help defeat him if he was my boss?"  
  
"Yeah!" Cuphead shouted, running into the circle to help defend Pippen. Mugman was close behind, Glory dropping into the middle of the crowd after waking up to this nightmare. "We all took on The Devil together and beat him! Glory took a trophy from the fight as proof! Pippen isn't connected to the Devil at all! She's just a person who came to the city to deliver a letter! She's totally clean!"  
  
"You can't just condemn her for the type of toon she is! There are other dark type toons here too in the caravan! Are they all evil just because of _what_ they are, over who they are and how they act?" Mugman demanded.  
  
"Please, I'm not working for anyone but myself, and for the safety of the caravan. I'm- I'm only half human, and I'm not going to apologize for who my parents are! No one chooses their parents, and I'm proud of them no matter what you think or say!" Pippen declared, slowly raising her voice, finally snapping. She was just so fed up with being judged for something she had no control over. Fire flickered around her hands, the first sign she was more than upset, but fully agitated, her spirit rebelling against the constant judgement. "If you don't like that it's your own problem, but what I say is the truth. I'm not here for some super secret conspiracy to 'ruin Tunis' or 'sew destruction' like the Angelic Council would claim. I don't _know_ any human who would come here with that goal in mind. We're just like toons, we're a different species or subspecies or something, but we're people. We aren't inherently evil, just like toons aren't."  
  
It was the first time she had raised her voice since the caravan had come together, and one of the few times she had raised her voice period. She stood as tall as she could, tail twitching slowly in irritation. A faint dark aura bloomed around her in response to her anger, invisible to most, but enough to make the toon confronting her think twice in conjunction with the embers, backing off slowly. Despite this, the caravan members were considering her words. Even if there was one half human in Tunis, was it really a good excuse for the level of escalation?  
  
Slowly they group split her and the other toon apart, leaving the heads of the caravan to discuss matters calmly with Henry and Betty. The group at large was regarding her with a blend of emotions. Some toons eyed her with fear, others uncertainty, and some with understanding. She had stood up for herself, which was respectable to some of them, while she also made some good points. None of them trusted the Angelic Council, and it would mean they should be leery of the information they were given, irregardless of what it was about.  
  
Bendy and Pippen stalked back to Red's cart, though Bendy mentioned to her he was proud she had stood up for herself. The matter had been intense, but fights involving dark toon usually did escalate in intensity given their nature. He figured it was par for the course in arguments. But the point was she had stood up for herself, instead of apologizing for something out of her control.  
  
"But I over reacted.." Pippen muttered, glancing to her hands, which had finally stopped shedding embers. She should have kept her powers in check.  
  
"Uh, no. Not really. Not everything can be handled cool and calmly, especially when there's a dude in your face screaming at you." Bendy pointed out. "You don't _have_ to be some perfect saint, Pips, you're a person like the rest of us. You're allowed to be angry and fight back."  
  
"I just.. Don't want to feed into what the Angelic Council has taught everyone.. And encourage the hatred on both sides.." She mumbled nervously. It was her reason for taking so much, but she was reaching the end of her rope. Her temper was starting to come out as she was worn down more and more. But this wasn't the time to get snappy.  
  
"Well, sometimes it's better to fight than to bow to someone acting up. A lot of the others respect you more for standing up for yourself than if you hadn't. There's no room for them to even think you're working for someone else." Bendy declared confidently, scooting closer and putting and arm around her. She smiled, wrapping her arm around him in turn.  
  
"I don't know what I'd do with out you." Pippen murmured, nuzzling her head into his. "You keep me sane.."  
  
"You'd be a bored and a lot more lonely." Bendy offered, resting his head against hers. "And we'd both be absolutely missing out on something great."  
  
"Definitely." Pippen murmured, gently kissing him on the cheek.  
  
  
  
=======  
  
  
It took several days, but they finally got all the equipment together, Lyllen paying off the enchanters and armorer from his own pocket.The elf was decked out in proper light armor, enchanted for protection against spirit enemies. He could move comfortably, while still being thoroughly protected by the armor. He had a bags worth of blessed throwing knives, as well as some other odds and ends he hadn't named but stowed away.  
  
Pidge was set up with some light armor as well, enough to protect him but not hamper his ability to move, given he did not use armor that often. He was given a short sword, something he knew how to use, though not to the degree of skill Lyllen had. His skills were more alligned with his spell work, blessings and light magic, and the enchantments placed on his armor were meant to bolster that.  
  
Even Oliver and Anatole were set up with protective armor, though both of them were primarily wearing leather, with very little metal. Oliver was very easy to weigh down, and Anatole was young, but they needed some degree of defense. The cockatoo toon was armed with a stave meant for someone his size, and some spell scrolls, which would allow him to cast the sealed away spells on the fly if needed. Anatole, on the other hand, had his bow, and instructions to avoid fighting as much as possible. He was young, and the most important of all of them in this investigation. It took some arguing, but they got him to understand and accept this by the time they were all prepared.  
  
Uridove was happy to see her son for the days it took to get their armor together, but the looming specter of what could be uncovered poisoned the time she spent with him. It didn't help that the boy told her what had happened on the beach when he had touched the Seer's eye. If that was what came for him in response to the few memories he did have, what else would come for him? Would he even return?  
  
Despite this, the boy still returned to the trio when the time came. He was willing to face whatever was to come, to know what it was that had lead to his death. To understand the terror that had consumed him in those moments, the unanswered terror that haunted his dreams. He would be a different person when he returned, but his mother had said he would still be her Anatole. Nothing would change that.  
  
Once everyone was armed and ready, they allowed the boy to handle the eye. In an instant, he turned towards the north once more, towards the woods. The three arranged themselves around him, Lyllen at his side in the lead, Oliver on the other side, and Pidge close by at the rear, ready to snap up a barrier defense if needed.  
  
Their goal was to try and protect the boy as much as possible, uncertain what extremes they may face. If need be, they could try removing the eye from his possession but.. Lyllen had confided in the other two that he feared the _boy_ may be their target, more so than the Eye. No spirits had attacked them when they absorbed the memory fragment from Malice's feather. But when the boy's memories had been transferred, a small swarm had appeared. The evidence was worrying.  
  
They walked into the woods, the villagers watching them go with silent eyes, their children restricted to the village. No one wanted to be caught in the middle of what may come, or their children, no matter how cranky it made them. The group moved in silence, Anatole's expression distant as he walked, pulled along by an invisible force towards what he had lost.  
  
As they moved deeper into the woods, their surroundings grew darker, a strange mist forming, sliding in from the ocean. There had been no signs of it prior, and the conditions hadn't been right for one to form, but there was one now. Maybe it hadn't come from the ocean. It felt eerie and strange, the Seer's Eye a small beacon of safety, the mist not nearing it. There was always a circumference of a couple yards between the eye and the mist, as if it was repelling it.  
  
The four mortals felt.. odd. Disconnected almost. As if they had stepped from the physical boundaries they had always known, and into another world, one that mirrored theirs near perfectly. It as eerie, the tree branches subtly twisting in unnatural ways, their leaves a hodge podge of shapes. The deeper they walked, the more subtly bizarre their surroundings became. The vegetation glowed with a dim light, something that seemed integral to their being, the light layered over the plants proper colors and physical form. The trees seemed to whisper, slow and deep, speaking of long past events, of the ever shifting weather and tides, and of things that only mattered to plants as old as themselves.  
  
"Where are we?" Oliver muttered after they had walked into the depths of the strange world. His voice echoed around them despite how quietly he spoke.  
  
"It would seem the Seer's eye has taken us into the spirit realm.. Or at least one of the upper levels of it." Lyllen answered. "Do not stay into the mist. It will be difficult for you to return to us if you do, and it appears the artifact is keeping us safe.. To a degree."  
  
There were shapes in the midst, shifting away from their approach, always remaining within the midst. Many of them seemed similar to the pale beings that had attacked them before. Most of them seemed vaguely humanoid, only in shape, but some seemed animalistic, the more animal ones being rarer to see, and faster to flee them. They seemed similar to humanoid and animals but... There was always something slightly off about the shape, or the number of limbs or just.. Something.  
  
"Hopefully it doesn't take us too deep.." Pidge muttered. He had heard whispers of the spirit realm, and how confusing and dangerous it would become with every 'level' one went down. He hadn't even realized the eye would take them from the material realm. This was the danger The Seer had eluded to.. To become completely trapped in a realm that was not there own, fuel for the beings who lived here. If they weren't careful, that would be their fate.  
  
"If it does we will retreat. We do not have the skill and mental fortitude between the four of us to conquer the depths of the spirit realm. It is not kind to those who belong in the mortal, material realm." Lyllen murmured, though part of him wondered if they would be able to retreat without completing the mission they set out upon. He didn't voice this however, not wanting to throw the group into a panic.  
  
"Wait, if this place exists, does that mean we'll see the gods you all have been talking about here? Ain't that what a god is? A spirit?" Oliver asked as they continued to walk.  
  
"No." Lyllen answered. "At least, not on this level. Not unless they have reason to present themselves to us here. Perhaps, in the deepest levels, you would find the dwelling of the gods but the gods... Are not mortals, but also not spirits but something in between, without the limits of mortality. Most spirits, like the ones we encountered and see now, can not effect the mortal realm without something to latch onto. Be it emotions, a tragedy, or place of wild and untamed energies. The Gods do not require such conditions. That is what we are taught."  
  
"So what is this then?" He questioned.  
  
"It is a realm between, a realm of energy. How living beings came to exist here is a matter of great debate. It simply exists, and most spirits strong enough to enter the material realm do not share the secrets of this one. Whether it is because they can not, or do not desire to is unknown.." Lyllen answered simply. He stopped abruptly, turning a bit to the right to face a massive form that appeared at the edge of the Eye's perimeter. It was a giant stag, standing tall on graceful but powerful legs. It had a mighty rack of root like antlers, disappearing into the mist above it, it's face slowly turning down towards them, it's body language not suggesting hostility.  
  
At least, that is what the outline they saw suggested. It did not seem solid, like a traditional ghost, it's form a blend of red-brown hues as it drifted out of the mist. It slowly became more solid in appearance as it neared, perhaps to comfort them, or perhaps constrained by what they could understand. The colors deepened as the massive being stopped before them, staring at them from four eyes, two on each side of it's face.  
 _  
"You have tread far from your realm, mortals. Did you mean to come here?"_ It's mouth did not move, but the deep male voice echoed around them, ancient but kind. It slowly echoed around them as the pair of toons glanced between themselves. Pidge answered before Lyllen could recover from his surprise.  
  
"I.. Think we did." Pidge offered. The being cocked it's head ever so slightly, the mighty rack of antlers appearing more solid where it neared the radius of the eye. Pidge quickly continued. "We-We're looking for memories. Fragments of this boys memories from a past life. We were told they hold a secret that could help us defeat a terrible beast."  
  
"A beast which seeks to destroy The Redwoods, Guardian." Lyllen quickly added, pushing Pidge to bow with him, Anatole automatically following his lead. Oliver was the last to bow, catching up after a moment of gawking at the strange stag. The spirit seemed unperturbed by Oliver's slowness, processing what it had been told.  
  
_"Destroy The Redwoods."_ It echoed quietly. _"Yes, I believe I know the beast you speak of. It is one whose master wages war on both realms, and serves a master that would see us **all** destroyed...." I_t trailed off, silent for a long time, none of them daring to speak. He stared at the eye, sensing what it could do. _"The memories you seek are all different types. The first you will find will be the most gentle but as you go deeper into these woods, you will find they grow darker. It is that darkness that draws the type of beings that are the most dangerous to those of you who have originate from the mortal realm. Those who would feast upon your emotions, your memories, your very being, warping all that you know to glean every bit of energy from you that they can."_  
  
"We have been warned as much." Pidge muttered nervously.  
  
_"So you know the price for failure. That is good. I will lend you what aid I can. All that I ask is that you preserve as much of the woods as you can."_ The Stag declared. " _When the times come that you choose to leave, seek my echoes. They will guide you back to the material realm. I can not accompany you further. It is not yet my time to act."_  
  
"We are grateful for whatever help you can offer, Great one." Lyllen stated, bowing his head in gratitude. The other's followed his lead, the being bowing his head as well. Moments later, it was gone, though they noticed the radius of the Eye had expanded considerably. They felt oddly safer as well, despite the fact they were still facing potential danger. Pidge could sense a blessing had been placed upon them, a powerful spell of protection.  
  
"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that." Oliver muttered a couple moments later.  
  
"I did not expect to meet a spirit of such magnitude that was not a threat to us." Lyllen murmured. "It is a blessing of the gods that we did not face true danger yet. But I fear that peace will end soon."  
  
"He did say that the first memories will be safe to approach.." Pidge offered. "And they left a blessing on us, likely to drive off weaker malevolent spirits. We'll at least be able to get the first memories.."  
  
"Why do I feel like they won't do much for us unless we have them all?" Oliver muttered as they continued to walk, following the Eye as it guided Anatole.  
  
None of them answered him as they continued to walk, the woods seemingly endless. It didn't warp any further than it already had, but remained in the warped state it had taken. As far as they could judge, they were not going any 'deeper' into the levels, despite walking deeper into the spirit woods. They remained silent, tension and anxiety slowly returning as time continued onward, despite the mostly unchanging scenery.  
  
"There." Anatole abruptly hissed, making Pidge and Oliver jump. Ahead of them was a clearing, a small sliver of light glittering in the middle. It was light and warm, almost inviting. Some spirits surrounded it, but they lay peacefully about, basking silently in the warmth. Even as they approached, the pale yellow toned spirit animals did not threaten them, even after the eye absorbed the memory. They simply stood, and walked away quietly, leaving the four of them in the clearing.  
  
"I guess those were the nicer kind." Oliver muttered.  
  
"Seems so." Pidge offered.  
  
"Did you get it?" Lyllen asked after a moment. Anatole nodded, turning to them.  
  
"It's just a small piece. I think.. We can see it later when we have more." The boy declared, making a decision for the group. The others glanced between themselves, but ultimately decided to agree. It was his memories after all. They might as well let him have some command over things related to them.  
  
"Let's continue than." Lyllen declared.  
  
\---------  
  
  
Time was hard to track in the spirit realm, but it felt like hours had passed before they had collected the last of the 'good' memories. The gentle spirits walked away from the last pleasant memory, but they noticeably avoided walking in a specific direction. The same direction the Seer's Eye directed them towards. Anatole still wouldn't share the memories, his face hesitant. Maybe it was for the best. The last time he had shared his memories, they had been attacked, and so far they had gotten through the forest unharmed.  
  
"It's.. It's going to get worse from here." Anatole abruptly stated, glancing towards them, his face pale.  
  
"That's what we're here for, kid." Oliver muttered, though he shifted anxiously at the strange look on the boys face.  
  
"What he means is we're ready." Pidge offered. "If worst comes to worst we can just run for it... Can't we?" He glanced to Lyllen for confirmation.  
  
"Yes. If the situation gets out of hand, I want you to grab Anatole and take off. Both of you. You have wings for a reason." Lyllen stated calmly, starting forward, Anatole quickly following him.  
  
"Wait, what about you then?" Oliver called, bristling a bit. "We don't abandon anyone! Right Pidge?!"  
  
"Y-Yeah!" Pidge agreed, chasing after them. "We can't just leave you behind! We know what will happen if you get lost in here. We aren't leaving you."  
  
"Mmm. Do not discount the usefulness of your wings none the less." Lyllen muttered, grasping the handle of his blade and tensing. They had been so busy fighting with him that they hadn't realized their surroundings had grown darker. "Get ready."  
  
Figures were forming from the midst, running towards them, wispy hands reaching towards them, the four preparing to fight. The shadows spread an unnerving aura as they approached, but Lyllen did not flinch, slicing down several of the malignant spirits before they got to close. Anatole nervously knocked an arrow, his hand shaking but slowly steadily as he watched Lyllen confidently cut down the approaching spirits. He managed to get the arrow off and strike one of the spirits, one of the last ones that Lyllen didn't reach.  
  
"That was just the first wave." The older elf warned. "They're only going to keep coming now that we've stepped into their territory. Push forward!" He started forward as he spoke, pushing them into a faster pace than before. More shadowy figures were appearing already, not quite as many as the first wave, but still in numbers that could get out of hand if they did not dispatch them quickly.  
  
Most didn't make it past Lyllen, at least those coming from the direction they were facing, and the immediate sides. Pidge had only some minor training with a blade, as was required of angels of his former rank, and for the moment he was doing fairly well at protecting their rear. Anything that slipped past him were swiftly bludgeoned with Oliver's stave, the bird absolutely merciless. Anatole kept moving forward, moving towards the red light that glittered in the fog, knowing that disturbing the nest around this memory would not be as simple as the previous.  
  
They were swarmed the moment they neared the memory, the sliver of light glowing red, a dark aura surrounding it. The spirits gathered around were not like the calm ones from earlier, but dark and twisted things, feeding off the aura surrounding the memory shard. Black tendrils were actively coming off of the memory and to them, the negative energy of such darkness sustaining them even so long after it had first been lost to the spirit realm. They turned and swarmed the group, leaving the shard behind for the moment in their frenzy to protect their food source.  
  
Anatole slowed as they neared, until he was physically struggling to move, tears boiling in his eyes. Pidge pushed him forward, guilt lacing his every step, but he knew if they stopped they would be overtaken. Oliver was beating back the horde that circled around behind to try and catch them off guard, but he would only be able to hold them off for so long. Anatole wouldn't begrudge him the motion, the elf child pushing himself forward.  
  
The swarm only grew more irate as the memory was collected, screeching and hissing surrounding them as the Eye pulsed with a dark light. The older three were fighting furiously to drive back the frenzied swarm, the seconds that it took to absorb the memory feeling like hours. Once it was one, the swarm dissipated, fleeing in the direction Anatole indicated was the one they needed to go in. The area around them brightened back to the normal shades they had encountered during the earlier half of the journey, the darkness of the memory no longer tainting the area.  
  
"They're going to just keep falling back and gathering around these memories in bigger and bigger clumps." Oliver muttered in realization.  
  
"We won't be able to win against an ever growing swarm." Lyllen rumbled. He turned to eye the three, particularly the taller pairs wings. "Just how good are you with those wings?"  
  
"We aren't leaving you." Pidge cut in, glaring.  
  
"Pretty good." Oliver offered. He didn't like the direction things were going, but he was starting to see Lyllen's logic, and had seen the elf's skills. Without the draw of the Eye, he would likely be attacked less, and find his way back out of the Spirit Realm.  
  
"Oliver!" Pidge hissed.  
  
"What do you want me to do, Pidge? We both know he has a point! If we fly over them, and swoop down to get the memories, those things won't be able to swarm us from all sides and attack. Without the Eye they'll have less reason to approach him, and that giant stag said it would lead us out when we needed to leave. He didn't say we had to do it all together." Oliver snapped, puffing up with anger. "I don't like it either, but can we really stop him? If he booked it into the woods right now, we wouldn't be able to stop him."  
  
"You can't." Lyllen agreed, eyes calm. "I will be fine. I have trained all my life for all manner of encounters. If you work together, you will be able to distract the malignant spirits long enough to reach the memories, and at a far faster pace than we are currently moving. The longer we take, the more time the enemy has to organize and prepare themselves and ensure our failure."  
  
"They can't fly.." Anatole hesitantly pointed out. "And Lyllen is one of the most skilled warriors in The Redwoods.."  
  
"I.." Pidge shook his head. He stared at the elf, sighing in defeat, before leveling a serious glare on him. "Don't. Die. If I trust you alone in this place, you are not allowed to die here."  
  
"I don't intend to." Lyllen laughed, a rare smile flitting across his face. He held up his hand, which Pidge hesitantly grabbed after a moment, the pair shaking hands before they split apart. Pidge paused, before taking his Stryx disguise, the boy hesitantly mounting his back. The morphed angel's back was broad enough for him to safely sit on, holding tightly to the armor tha morphed with him for safety. It was an odd position for both of them, but it was one that made the most sense to ensure the boy could reach out towards the memory fragments when they reached it.  
  
"If you die, I swear I'll come back and kill you." Oliver boldly declared, the pair of winged toons taking off, leaving Lyllen to laugh at the Cockatoo's antics. As the Eye moved away, the mist closed in around Lyllen, leaving only a couple feet of clear space around him. He gripped his sword, and took a deep breath, pushing forward. He would provide what distraction he could before he was forced to flee.  
  
"He'll be fine, right?" Oliver questioned a couple moments later, stave hooked onto his back.  
  
"Y-Yeah." Pidge answered, trying to sound confident. Once more their surroundings were starting to darken, the circumference of the Eye subtly shrinking. Oliver was sticking close to Pidge, not eager to be lost in the mist and end up a spirit's snack.  
  
"We're nearly there." Anatole announced. He was alternating between watching their back, and facing forward to make sure they were moving in the right direction. "This one is.. Bigger."  
  
"How do you know?" Oliver asked, crest raising with curiosity and uncertainty.  
  
"I just.. Do. It feels like they're bringing them together to defend them better.." Anatole answered.  
  
"Hopefully they won't be expecting us from above." Pidge muttered. He couldn't use his blade in this form, and he wasn't very confident with his new beak and claws, or getting near their opponents at all. Oliver could take his stave to some of them while still in the air, thanks to the magic integral to toons that allowed them defy physics to varying degrees, but he was no Lyllen, and if they plucked him from the air there would be nothing they could do.  
  
"Time to find out." Oliver muttered as a red glow appeared ahead of them. They were closing in a lot faster than they had been by foot, and the group fell into tense silence as they passed over dark forms below, none yet thinking to look above them. A good number were heading in the direction of Lyllen, his battle cry echoing through the mist towards them. He was buying them some time, but hopefully he would be wise enough to retreat before he was overwhelmed.  
  
The clearing the memory shard waited in was dark, with an eerie red tint. The shard was noticeably larger than the past pieces, and the malignant spirits that surrounded it were larger and more complex as well. They had yet to look up, but the moment the Eye began to absorb the memory as they neared it, their blobby, inconsistent heads turned upwards. They began to swipe and swing at the flying pair, but for the most part they were able to dodge it, losing only feathers. The few that neared them, Oliver battered away with his stave, the three successfully swiping the memory out from under the beast, taking up higher to escape the reach of the shrieking beasts.  
  
"They're moving." Anatole gasped. "All the pieces. They're all moving into one place."  
  
"Why do I have the feeling that is the worse thing that could possibly happen?" Oliver rhetorically questioned, feathers puffed with alarm. If this gathering had been mad, than how bad would the swarm around the entire collection of shards be?  
  
"We need it." Anatole declared, eyes wild and desperate. "I know it. I can feel it. The last piece is the most important. It's the key to everything-"  
  
".. We've come to far to stop now." Pidge answered, tone calm, hoping it would help to settle the boy down. He had been slowly becoming more emotional and reactive with every memory they had gathered. It hadn't been very noticeable with the good memories, but the negative memories were clearly having an impact. He just needed him to stay calm and level headed for what may come.  
  
The woods were still dark, and growing darker as they flew for the last piece. They were forced higher and higher, dodging claws, tentacles, and other forms of limbs that shot out of the mist to try and catch them. Pidge and Oliver were having a hell of a time dodging the tentacles, scarcely getting a warning before they erupted from the fog below. One managed to clip Oliver's tail feathers, the cockatoo cursing and shouting at the beasts below, his irritation seeming to draw them to him, though he was being far more careful now, not letting anything near him.  
  
It felt like eons, but they abruptly launched out of the mist into a clearing, the pair braking furiously to avoid flying further. None of the small or medium spirits were present, and the reaching claws and tentacles had ceased, but.. Before them stood something else, crouched over the glittering crystal of memories. It stood atop a rock formation, the crystal placed inside of it, forcing them to pass the beast if they desired to reach it.  
  
What perched atop the rocks bore a strong resemblance to a Stryx, particularly a Gryph at points, with a distinctive crest and the long body. The crest was wild and untamed, the feathers spilling around the top of it's head, head waving every which way. The being wasn't solid either, both in a sense that it more resembled the spirits they had encountered all throughout this place, and in that part of it's forms were in constant flux. It's wings couldn't settle on a number, never less than two, but frequently more than one and in different arrangements, one set of talons constantly changing shape and configuration as well. The space along it's back bubbled ominously, churning as the wings constantly shifted.  
  
_"So you finally come, eh? The traitor returns to face his crime, riding a fraud!"_ The voice was male, unusually high pitched and strained, as if the vocal chords had been worn away by overuse. The 'Stryx' looked to them, no, to Anatole, it's warping eyes, ever changing color and shape, glaring with hatred upon him. It was a hatred sharper than the one it had worn before focusing on the boy, the negative emotions drawing the spirits closer by several inches. They jumped down from the crest of the rock formation, the massive form, over thirty feet in length, dropping to the ground, leaving it eye level with them.  
  
With it standing closer they could see it had developed _scales_ , jagged scaled instead of smooth snake-like ones. Spikes peered out from their feathers in places, which flexed and rose with the feathers, sharp edges digging into it's own form from the misfortune of how it was formed. The beast snapped it's gnarled beak at them, the angel managing to dodge, Oliver shouting in alarm.  
  
Even if they still had Lyllen with them , they wouldn't have been able to take this thing! They had been warned of the effect of void substances that came off of the void corrupted, and Pidge knew from speaking to Pippen that battling a Gryph was more a matter of wit and skill than brute strength. While it was warping in many areas along it's body, it seemed, at it's basis, to have originated from a Gryph.  
  
_"But you're too late. This is where your story ends."_ The beast snarled, snickering cruelly. " _Your entire quest was a waste! Even abandoning that elf to his fate did not save you. Oh, you should have heard how he screamed when the spirits finally took him. Such wonderful sounds. I can not wait to draw the same notes from you."_  
  
He snapped at them again and again, driving them away from the memory clearing and back towards the waiting spirits. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place, with no space to flee, as the corrupted bird took it's time drawing out as much hopelessness as it could.  
  
"He's alive! He's- " Anatole shouted back, but their was no certainty in his voice, only tears. Lyllen was the strongest warrior in the Red Woods, he had lived through numerous battles and situations. Lyllen was -  
  
_"Dead!"_ The beast cackled, swinging a long tail towards them, spinning into the motion to snap, beak coming dangerously close to the angel and elf. Oliver took the opportunity to blindside the beast with his stave, only for it to warp and twist as it collided with the corrupted portions of the beast's back, the cockatoo wisely dropping it and moving away quickly. The corrupted beast simply laughed, shrugging of the pitiful blow. So long as he had his void energy protecting him, he was invincible. They could not harm him-  
  
The sound of stamping hooves was the only sound to cut through the tension, the laughter of the malevolent spirits, the hateful cackles of the beast that may have once been a Stryx. The sound was Pidge's only warning, turning to look behind him and quickly crunch up into a ball, holding Anatole close, threading through a gap in the antlers as the Spirit of the Redwoods appeared, glowing brilliantly. The mighty stag brought with it a herd of deer like itself, but more common sized, bravely battling the malevolent force that had invaded their home.  
  
_"You've finally come out of your hole, wretch."_ The spirit spat, beating the bird with his front hooves before slamming heads with the beast again. No kindness was to be found in his voice now, cold as ice and relentlessly hateful, the tone one of bitter enemies. " _I knew you would not turn your beak up to easy prey. You speak as if you have any real power, but you are little more than a cowardly wretch, scuttling between your holes to hide and poison The Redwoods. Your kind is not welcome here, or in this realm, and I **will** see you gone!"_  
  
The void warped spirit had no words to reply with, only screeching in rage and hatred as he was driven away from his prey. His carefully coordinated attacks, his carefully chosen words, all that cultivated terror gone in a rush of disgusting hope. He lashed out at the Guardian of the Woods, finding them fortified against the void once more. Their focus on the mortals must have allowed the guardian to sneak into the tower and reconnect to it's patron god!  
  
_"You call me a coward? And yet you can not face me without your wretched sun god backing you up!"_ The corrupted bird spat, exchanging blow for blow.  
  
_"As if you would challenge me without your master's aide. We both know how this match would go even if we both stood alone."_ The glowing stag calmly replied, dodging the avian's furious strikes, carefully aiming his own and scoring blows. His eyes briefly darted to the mortals, and then the memory fragment, before focusing on his battle once more. This was his part to play, to slay the beast which haunted the spiritual half of the woods. Theirs was to take care of things on the mortal side, and they could not do it without this final peice.  
  
Fortunately, Pidge had already caught on by the time the stag glanced back to him, flying down to the memory. The glittering, jagged diamond of red light glowed with an ominous aura, the air vibrating with the contained negative energy. Anatole jabbed his arm forward, managing to get the Eye close enough to start absorbing the memory. He was shaking like a leaf as the memory streamed into the Eye, tears falling rapidly from his terrified eyes.  
  
Behind them, the battle raged on, the herd battering the twisted spirits back into the deeper levels, away from where they could potentially reach out and do harm to the mortal realm. The Guardian of the Forest and the Warped Avian were locked in a heated battle, the bird trying to catch him in a grapple hold with his wings and talons, though the stag moved with elegant agility, avoiding the blows while keeping them away from the mortals. Every moment they successfully harvested the memory added to the monstrosities rage, the screeching from the bird only growing more harsh and hateful with each second.  
  
Finally, the light faded, leaving them in a dimly lit clearing. The malevolent spirits that had lasted this long were fleeing now, their home turf advantage lost as the negative energy was contained. The Guardian was still battering the Warped Avian, though it was clear the later was trying to get past him, to reach the mortals and slaughter them before fleeing. He had seen how the tides had turned, and he was as the stag had described. But The Guardian was true to his word, and he was not going to allow this beast to live any longer.  
  
_"GO!"_ The Mighty spirit called to them, catching the twisted bird with his antlers, halting it in it's track. " _Follow the echos! So long as Spite roams these woods, **do not return!"** _With his final warning given, he reared back, slamming into his opponent and charging out of the clearing, a distant crash signalling their collision with one of the trees. Despite the exchange of blows, neither beast seemed that severely injured or tired, and at the rate things were going their battle would carry on for much longer.  
  
"What about Lyllen?" Oliver shouted.  
  
"He's had to have left already!" Pidge called back, twisting away from the clearing. The mist seemed denser, screeches and harsh stag cries echoing all throughout the woods. His eyes landed on a thin, barely visible stag, as if it were an echo of the past, the form racing into the mist confidently. He didn't hesitate, flying after it, Oliver close behind, following the twisting, turning path the strange echo took. It felt like it was taking them all over the woods in random directions, no real purpose behind it's directions, uncertainty beginning to overtake them-  
  
The pair of birds slowed down as the mist vanished, the sun shining down upon them from high in the sky. The trees and vegetation were proper colors once more, no longer sporting a strange secondary aura. The woods were silent, save for the whisper of wind through the leaves, and bird calls. Everything looked and felt right again, the world around them at peace.  
  
Oliver was flying around, laughing in relief, unable to believe that they had escaped. They had looked in the jaws of defeat and flew straight to victory thanks to a giant deer. None of his drinking buddies would ever believe this. No one he knew would believe this wild experience, except Pidge, and that was because he had been there! His joy started to evaporate however as the form of a brawny elf failed to appear. Not a single strand of auburn hair or flash of gold and silver eyes.  
  
"Lyllen!" Oliver shouted, flying further into the woods to search, as Pidge landed in the clearing they had come returned to the mortal realm in. Anatole was shaking on his back, a strange blend of terror and relief coursing through him. His final moments had been as terrible as his mother had feared but.. He knew the truth now. He was not traitor, as the beast in the spirit realm had claimed.  
  
"Anatole?" Pidge asked hesitantly, the boy sliding off his back. After a moment, the angel changed back to his proper form, relieved to be in his natural form. The boy was quiet, holding the eye and staring at it, before holding it out to him. He simply nodded when Pidge asked if he was OK, before nodding to the eye again.  
  
"We got it. The truth. She.. She doesn't even know..." He shook his head, holding it up to Pidge, who hesitantly took it-  
  
  
\--------  
  
_  
Vivid green eyes met his, a plum red and deep gold head regarding him curiously, grey tipped crest flicking up. His hand went up to rub the Gryph under the cheek, her green eyes closing in pleasure, showing that the red mark that surrounded her eye covered her lids as well.  
  
The Gryph was primarily a grey-black, with a deep golden underside along her neck, cheeks, stomach, wings, lower flanks, and along the underside of her tail. Her wing, and both sets of tail feathers were tipped in red, then tips of grey, while deep plum feathers ran along the top half of their wings, diluting into the grey. The same deep plum was present their face and neck, and peeked around the edges of the golden unders near their flanks. The secondary tail was wholly the same color, stretching up the jagged feathered tail. Sandy yellow brindling, several shades lighter than the unders, marked her neck and shoulders, the before abruptly coming to a stop.  
_   
All that was missing was the ring of grey they had seen on their neck in the photos of Spite and her terrible master.. _  
  
"Ready for another day of work, Gale?" A voice asked. It sounded nothing like Anatole, and let he knew intrinsically it was his. The bird, his long time companion, bobbed their head, grinning  
  
"I'm always ready to work, Tristan. Another job means another meal after all." The Gryph answered. A charm hung from the fluff of her neck, allowing the untrained human to understand the Gryphs's words. It was a perk of the job, though it was still strange to him to hear words spill from her black beak.  
  
"Looks like a nice clear day. Load is supposed to be light too. If we make good time, boss says we'll get a bonus." Tristan hummed, the view changing as they turned to walk away, leading the Gryph so the goods could be strapped onto her tack.  
  
"That's good. I like an easy day once and a while." The bird purred. Tristan looked back, smiling-  
  
\---------  
  
He watched as the black beak erupted from the shell, vivid green eyes looking up to him. He had known it was likely a Gryph inside the egg, given it was a bit larger than normal, but now it was confirmed. It would be a hard undertaking, but he had the feeling they would be good friends.  
  
The chick cried for food, which he dutifully doled out, petting the dark birds head as he did, their tiny crest flicking up. Finally, they were full, and dropped off to sleep as expected, Tristan smiling a bit to himself. He couldn't get a feel for their personality, but they were a baby after all.  
  
\---------  
  
"Stop!" Tristan gasped in exasperation, reaching for his good shirt. Gale was playfully dangling it over his head, lifting it up every time he reached for it, the adolescent cawing with laughter. He finally caught ahold of it, yanking it from the bird's beak as it opened to crow at him again, a look of surprise in her eyes.  
  
"Got'em." Tristan hummed, sliding the shirt on. "Now come on. We're going to practice perching again. If you're good, I'll give you the last of the rose mash-"  
  
The Gryph's head retracted from the window so quickly that she caught her crest on the upper sile, the bird still correcting it as he walked out of his small home. Another half year, and they would be able to work with the delivery service. Than he could **really** start to treat Gale. No more simple mash, but prime meat, and fresh delectable fish! Something larger than the small fry he always caught...  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
"Another day, another job." Gale hummed as the packages were strapped to her tack. She shifted side to side, unusually restless, a feeling Tristan mirrored. They had been working with the delivery service for seven years now, long enough to be considered senior members and earn a nice bonus to their base pay for remaining loyal to the business. They didn't really want for anything, though they were by no means rich. The business watched out for it's workers, and the workers watched out for one another.  
  
As the most reliable Gryph in the business, Gale was in high demand. It meant they could get some very tight jobs, but it also meant a higher pay out, and a better meal for Gale at the end. She knew Tristan didn't have to treat her so well, she had seen how the other Stryx and their riders operated, but Tristan adored her And she adored him. They were the best of friends, even though they hadn't developed a pair-bond, something that surprised most people. But pair-bonds were a gift of Galyx, a mind-link between Stryx or a Stryx and a companion of a different species. If they were not meant to have one, than that was simply that. It didn't change their friendship.  
  
"The air feels strange." Tristan muttered, glancing to the other end of the hangar. Several other Stryx were lounging about between work, or having packages stacked onto their tack as well. The magi in charge of tracking the weather for the business had sworn today was going to be a clear day but.. He couldn't shake this feeling. "Maybe we should drop the job.."  
  
"Drop the job?" Gale echoed. "Why would we do that? The sky is clear, there's no storm front for miles, and the wind is gentle and calm. It's a simple, easy job too, none of this complicated 'don't fly this high' or 'don't let it get to moist' business to deal with."  
  
"Ahh.. Your right." Tristan hummed. Gale was all ready, the aides giving him a thumbs up as they walked away. He walked up to her, climbing into her saddle. "Let's get this delivery done and decide where to get dinner. I hear that traveling chef you liked is back in the area."  
  
They took off in high spirits into the clear sky on a simple round job trip, Gale's steady wing beats carrying them confidently. The sky was a clear, calm blue, not a cloud in sight as the sun shone down upon them warmly, Gale angling towards their destination.  
  
  
\--------  
  
The sky was dark, deep grey clouds closing in. The clouds had appeared to the south of them, and had rapidly closed in, far faster than either had ever seen a storm system move. It **shouldn** 't have been there, their magi checked a wide range before sending anyone out, and his work record was impeccable. It didn't change the fact that it was there, or rather here now, surrounding them.  
  
"We need to go lower!" Tristan shouted, his companion already slowly dropping from the sky. The wind was slowly whipping itself up into a frenzy, coming from all directions to tear at them and their packages. It was rough going, but this was not the first storm Gale had flown through ,and likely wouldn't be her last-  
  
**CRAAAAZZZAAAAAATCH!**  
  
Gale shrieked as light flooded her vision, pain exploding through her form, Tristan shouting in pain as well, the Gryph careening from the sky. Her wings mercifully stayed spread open, the stiffened muscles allowing the wind to catch her wings and take her towards the ground. She couldn't feel **anything** below her neck, a fissure of jagged flesh spread wide at the midpoint of her neck's length.  
  
Tristan groaned as they collided with the ground. Pain lanced down his back, his limbs, everything buzzing and aching with pain from the lightning strike. How could such a thing have happened? They were on such a simple job. He turned to face his lifelong companion, his stomach churning with terror as his eyes landed on the wound, white glistening among the flesh. He could see the terror in her eyes, everything below her neck going limp as the effect of the electricity wore off.  
  
He coughed up blood, his lungs burning as he forced the straps of his saddle off. He tipped off and fell to the ground, his legs burning with agony, blood coming out from his lips once more. He picked himself up and dragged himself to rest by Gale's head, wrapping his arm over it and trying to comfort her.  
  
This.. This was the end. The end of both of them. His wounds would likely be the death of him, and Gale.. Poor, sweet Gale. She had been rendered utterly paralyzed. Even if they could have gotten help out here, there would be nothing that could be done. The damage was to severe, her ribs cracked and broken from the crash as well. He could already hear how she struggled to breath, his heart breaking.  
  
"Gale.. Gale.. I'm so sorry.." Tristan murmured, resting his head against the bird's, crying a bit. He could feel her press into his touch, both very aware that this was the end of the line for her. There was no way to move such a massive bird, no way to undo the damage to neck.  
  
"Don't leave me." Gale whispered, her voice hoarse with fear. "Please. Don't leave me."  
  
"Never." Tristan promised, pressing himself into her head. She sighed, closing her eyes slowly to rest, to try and abide the pain a little longer. It was likely her wounds would be the end of her soon enough. The weight pressing down onto her lungs and crushed ribs would likely seal the deal. "I'll be with you until the last second. A-And.. I-I hope that.."  
  
He paused, tears glittering in his eyes as he leaned into the bird he had raised, the bird he had worked with for so many years, the bird who had been his nearest and dearest companion. "I hope that.. In our next lives, if we ever meet again, that we can play together once more.. And be the best of friends."  
  
"I hope so..." Gale echoed softly. To tired to open her eyes. Tristan didn't begrudge her this, leaning into her and staring silently into the woods as the wind shrieked and whipped around them. No thunder rumbled, no lightning flashed. There had only been the single strike, and the hissing, shrieking wind.  
  
He fully intended to stay by her side, not caring for his own wounds or the cold that slowly closed in around him. He didn't know if he could continue life without her. She was his most loyal friend, his companion, and had seen him through so much. There had been trials and tribulations, but they had overcome them together.  
  
All for it to end here.  
  
It wasn't fair.  
  
His eyes slowly scanned the treeline, drawn in by the motion, before his eyes were drawn to a figure of motionless darkness. In the dim light, he could make out black feathers, darkest at the extremities, a deep purple underbelly that spiked at the edges, and jagged tips of red along flight feathers. And then he met eyes with the figure blood red eyes, his body stiffening of their own accord.  
  
Terror. It pressed in on him despite the lack of action from the bird, a dark aura surrounding it's eyes and his own. Suddenly he was filled with fear, his mind going blank as the spell overrode ever bit of logic he had. The spell the bird cast had fully overtaken him, and he was completely helpless to resist the terror the filled him. The next thing he knew he was on his feet. The malevolent bird was grinning, a cruel mocking grin as it jerked his head, sending the human away.  
  
Tristan was running, Gale crying out in confusion and pain as he raced into the woods. Her cries grew more desperate with every step he took, pain overtaking the confusion, and then betrayal. The last he heard of his cries before he felt something collide with his back were notes of betrayed shock and fury, an fury that would morph into something more powerful, and would kindle a defiant will to live. Not that he would live to see it.  
  
The fear clogged his throat, rendering him unable to make a sound as agony overtook him. He felt red hot pain, heard the sound of flesh tearing, as he felt his spine leave his body, raindrops of blood following him to the ground. A massive shadow hung over him, gore dangling from it, a pale yellow beak, fading into a deep gold on the furthest ends, stained with blood, red eyes rimmed with red feathers staring down at him hatefully from beyond the blurry haze of pain and fear, rapidly fading away....  
  
_


	28. The shadow of Malice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
  
They searched for hours, but they couldn't find Lyllen. The toons dropped Anatole off with at his mother's house before returning to the woods, searching as much of it as they could. The local guard was roused not long afterwards thanks to Anatole, the elves forms dashing between the trees and sailing between the branches. A good number of the off duty guard volunteered to aid them, the only portion available to help. Despite their exhaustion, they tried their hardest, finally returning to Seaworth deep in the night.  
  
The exhausted toons were shuffled between guards as they spoke to villagers, trying to keep hope alive despite the results of their search. None of them dared to speak on his possible fate, though most were divided on the truth. While some believed the worst, others believed the powerful warrior had remained behind to aid the Guardian of the Forest in expunging the malevolent spirits. Others feared he had been taken away by the same forces they were set against, to be tortured for information on their defenses.  
  
At some point, Oliver and Pidge found themselves at the Elder's house again, being shuffled into a room in the building instead of the unoccupied house they had been using for the  
past several days. Uridove was surprisingly less abrasive, while Anatole's expression at peace. He hadn't betrayed anyone, but had been driven away with a fear spell. Something so simple, and yet a thing neither her nor Gale, now Spite, had ever encountered in their time together. Something neither of the simple delivery workers would ever know how to deal with..  
  
The exhausted pair dropped into their beds, tired and miserable, their victory tainted by Lyllen's unknown fate.  
  
"I don't even understand how that was worth all of this." Oliver mumbled after several minutes.  
  
"We know who she used to be." Pidge answered tiredly. "We know _how_ Malice convinced her to work with him. You heard the memory too, you heard her voice. The betrayal.. That monster found them and took advantage of their weakened conditions to drive away Anat- Tristan... She was already so scared, and to think Tristan betrayed her trust in that last moment.. Who knows what she felt. Pippen told me Malice feeds off of negative emotions.. But maybe he saw more in her than."  
  
"You think." Oliver muttered.  
  
"It's the only reason I can imagine The Seer sent us to collect the memories." Pidge groaned, flexing his tired wings. "That bird, the thing that guarded the last of the memories.. It called Anatole a traitor. It looked similar to Spite under all the warping... And we were told that Malice and Spite have produced children, even if they aren't perfect Stryx."  
  
"Woman tend to be pretty spiteful when they feel betrayed." Oliver offered with a weak laugh. "Or just when mad in general."  
  
"You would know that best, wouldn't you?" Pidge snickered in spite of the exhaustion.  
  
"Listen, I like a nice looking dame with feathers in all the right places as much as the next guy, but I ain't sacrificing my friendships on a whim from one. I like having all the friends I do." Oliver protested.  
  
"Is that why you and Clarice never worked out? I thought you two were pretty nice together." Pidge mused tiredly.  
  
"She was during the honeymoon phase. Than she showed her ass and how insecure she was. Too much baggage to keep up with from that one. Didn't even want to let me hang with my work friends, and they're all dudes! And then she insulted my singing and that sealed the deal." Oliver explained, flipping onto his back, stretching his legs. "Dames. You can't live with'em, can't live without'em. Just gotta find one that ain't batty, or the right kind of batty to vibe with you. I mean we're all kinda crazy when you get down to it, aren't we?"  
  
"In different ways, I guess." Pidge offered, laughing a bit. "Pippen always said something like that too. Except for the 'dame' part. I think you'd like her. She's already with someone, but she's friendly."  
  
"Ah, I ain't in no rush to find another dame. Wanna sort myself out, get a nice nest together and get all this crazy gods and goddesses and not-god businesses settled down." Oliver laughed. He paused, before continuing. "I heard that they're bringing in all the peices they have of that Malice fella in a couple days. They picked some spot out in the forest where they train the guards from what I overheard. A bunch of the guards volunteered to help us after they found out the deal with Lyllen.."  
  
They fell silent, before Oliver continued. "Damn elf's probably still in there beating the hell out of those malevolent spirits. Gotta feel off him he wasn't going to leave that realm until it was in order again. Wish we could have figured out a way around what had to be done but.. I don't think he's dead, Pidge. That son'ova bitch is too stubborn to just die like that."  
  
"... You think?" Pidge asked softly, slowly folding his wings. "I.. I don't know what to think. Maybe I could have carried him and Anatole somehow-"  
  
"Your back is too small in that form." Oliver muttered. "And Lyllen is a _big_ boy. I don't think you could have.. And I don't know if he would have agreed to a position he couldn't fight in."  
  
"Maybe." Pidge sighed. They had been so tense and concerned about being swarmed again that they had all been taking snap decisions, but now.. Now in the calm, they could look behind them and question their choices. It didn't help that Lyllen was still a bit of a mystery to them.  
  
"We should go to sleep. We can't figure out nothing worrying about it, and who knows what's happening tomorrow. We're gonna see this to the end. For Lyllen." Oliver muttered after several minutes.  
  
"...Yeah..." Pidge murmured softly. "For Lyllen."  
  
  
========  
  
  
It was a mixed bag on how the toons were responding to Pippen now, something that bother her, though she refused to show it.  
  
A minority openly feared her, questioning how a toon and human could fall in love, let alone spawn a child. Had they even been in love? The small group was full of theories and questions, including theories she had the toons she was traveling with 'enthralled' via spells to have them back her up.. A theory they couldn't prove because none in the group were magic users, or able to use anything but very simple spells, let alone detect such a subtle and dark magic. To make matters worse, they wouldn't believe anyone outside of their small circle, even the magic users who checked and confirmed Pippen's group was clear of any spell work.  
  
Then there were the.. Overly curious. Cuphead danced on the edge of the line that would put him in that group, but his brother helped to keep him in line and point out how weird some of the questions were. The overly curious wanted to know a lot about her parents, something she wasn't entirely comfortable talking about under calm circumstances to begin with. Too many bad memories were between her and the good, and she hadn't fully over come that patch of darkness to be able to look on the good without it hurting. It didn't help they asked very prying questions, trying to work out _how_ a toon and human produced a child.  
  
As far as Pippen knew, she came to be in the same manner most beings did when a compatible male and female liked each other enough. Her dad had taken some magical precautions when she was younger, but that had mostly to stop her from burning the house down when she started discovering the powers that came from her demon side. That and to keep track of her, because according to both him, and her brother later on, she had the uncanny ability to near-silently disappear if left out of sight for more than a couple seconds, and get into the strangest places.  
  
Leopold had always been a bit nervous with her, given she was the first and only baby he had ever dealt with, and he had been quietly terrified of something happening to her or Perci because of his 'ineptness'. That's what Perci had told her in their later years. All she remembered was her father trying his absolute hardest to be a good dad, always there to help and offer some wise words, or a wise crack. He was mischievous and playful, but gentle and loving with his children, both the one by his blood and the one who had accepted him as his father.  
  
He was a good father, just like her mother, a bold and willful woman. Her dad always joked that her mother was the one keeping him in line and making him behave. Apparently he had gotten into a bit of trouble on occasion due to his mischievous nature, but Alva had warmed up to him, and in time, they had kindled something between them. She was a sturdy woman, strong and dependable, but still full of love despite the pain her first husband had caused.  
  
Her first husband, who was the cause of their deaths...  
  
Pippen didn't tell them much, which annoyed some, who were fascinated by her, regarding her like a rare specimen or strange animal walking loose in camp. Others were more understanding once they saw the pain in her eyes, and backed off with the simpler answers, curiosity sated. The only people who really learned much about her parents were Henry and Bendy, the two she had known the longest and trusted the most. They never asked, at least most of the time, but they would usually listen as she rambled to them, the memories unburied by questions from the overly curious. But even they didn't know how her childhood ended. It wasn't something she had ever been able to talk about very easily.  
  
Then there were the toons who respected her for standing up for herself, for standing her ground and not hiding the truth. She had claimed it, and had refused to be ashamed of her heritage, of her paternage, and had defiantly refused to be defined by the aspects she had no control over. A lot of these toons were older toons, the demonic types or ones that were blended types, hybrids of beast and mannish, other demons blends, and ones who couldn't be neatly defined into any category. She liked them, for obvious reasons, though there was some crossover with the 'too curious' crowd and the respectful ones.  
  
Between Bendy, Henry, and her Stryx, she was able to keep her sanity and stay calm. It helped immensely, since sleep was becoming harder and harder to acquire. If it wasn't the stress of keeping the ever growing caravan together and safe keeping her up, than it was the nightmares that had always haunted her waking her up and keeping her up. They had only grown worse in response to her stress, and the fact Malice was alive, and could show up whenever he desired. Part of her was certain he could track her down if he really wanted to.  
  
There was nothing Malice hated more than those who survived their encounters with him. Not the encounters where he wore his mask of a suave, confident Gryph to fool other Stryx and gain their confidence, but the ones where he showed his true colors. When he came to reap destruction, to steal lives, and to torment his victims slowly and hatefully. It was a miracle, or perhaps a blend of their sheer stubbornness and luck, that Cecil and her had survived their encounter, let alone ended the beast.  
  
"-pen. Pippen!" Bendy's voice cut through the fog in her head, the imp jumping and looking up. Henry, Bendy, and Norman were all staring at her, having been waiting for her response in the conversation they had been having. Her tired eyes blinked rapidly as she shook her head, her exhaustion clear to all three. Bendy had been encouraging her to sleep, and staying by her side when he wasn't on watch, which admittedly helped, but.. She still had the nightmares, and she would leave the cart they were sleeping in to avoid disturbing him further.  
  
"Ah, sorry.. What were we talking about?" Pippen mumbled, bowing her head in guilt. She knew the Steins were worried for her, and that even Norman had started to become concerned. She was the one who coordinated not just her birds, but the caravan guard as well, since it quickly became clear to everyone that she knew what she was talking about. As more people joined, the number of difficult representatives for the group were outnumbered by the number of new, more attentive members, who recognized her experience and choose to listen to her for the sake of everyone's safety.  
  
It had helped her case immensely when, not even a day after they had changed their approach tot he guard and watch program, they successfully repelled the first of dozens of angelic attacks. There had been no attempt to hide the fact they saw the caravan as enemies, no attempt to give _anyone_ a chance to surrender. Between the actual battling, they attempted to abduct the young, and the inexperienced fighters, to 'save' them, though in reality they all knew what they really would have done with the stolen toons.  
  
They had _attempted_ to. The precautions put into place, and the preparation spread through the caravan at Pippen's insistence, had helped repel them, and rescue anyone who was picked up. They nearly took an angel hostage as well, but in the scramble the angel got away. But the angelic forces were driven away, sent flying back the way they had come. It was not the last attack, and it was the smallest compared to the following ones, but the caravan was more than prepared for them. Between the Guard, and the Stryx, they were repelled each time.  
  
It was that attack they angels had learned to fear the fury of her birds as well, not only Glory but each one of them. Beowulf was wickedly clever and very vicious once provoked, Sigurd's speed allowing him to get the drop on his opponents and keep them spinning with hit and run tactics. Glory was a raging power house once released onto the battlefield, and Skoldolfr's agility made up for his lack of raw power, on top of his ferocious desire to protect.  
  
Then there was Saturnine. The moth like owl had been underestimated by the angels who first attacked, daring to even fly past her in an attempt to snatch a toon child away from the group. That unfortunate angel had quickly learned that even the calmest of Stryx could be terrifying, Saturnine on him in seconds, tearing and wailing a gut wrenching sound that sent chills through everyone. It was a wild cry, high and lost, laced with the misery , the fury, and the pain of the lost and the abandoned, and the fury of a being not truly tamed. Her claws were swift, leaving frostbite edged cuts and bruises on all she struck, her strange eyes terrifying.  
  
_"We were talking about the rumors the newest additions reported._ " Norman answered. _"Rumors of 'Malice' attacking towns and villages that resist, and then the angels coming in and playing hero. A bit suspicious from what you've told me of that birds modus operandi."  
_  
"He wouldn't mindlessly attack towns and villages, not ones that can easily drum up a defense against him with help from neighboring towns and the like. The times he has been suspected to strike these kinds of locations, it's always a more 'cloak and dagger' method. He's vicious, but he isn't a mindless monster. He's uncomfortably clever." Pippen agreed. "I don't know what it is the Angelic Council could have that has coerced him into working for them. He isn't a beast that would allow himself to be tamed, and he's too proud to answer to any mortal being."  
  
If Malice was active, that could explain why her nightmares had been growing worse. She had heard from past survivors, one of which actually escaped him twice, that the nightmares always seemed to worsen when he was about to return to life, and when he we near. The nearer he got, the worse and more exhausting the nightmares. There were so few fellow survivors, and the majority of them silently agreed to avoid one another. The unspoken fear that being in one another's presence could exasperate their condition, or draw a revived Malice to them faster, always drove a wedge between the Wyverian survivors.  
  
As she looked over the Caravan, she could sense those who had been effected by Malice, toons who had run far from the west and come across them by luck. Their eyes were haunted, distant, like hers had been the first year after the encounter. Maybe they had gotten off with just traumatic memories, fear that would haunt them occasionally. Or maybe they had a personal enough encounter for _the_ nightmares.  
  
It was the one thing a magi Pippen had been interviewed by had noted about the nightmares. It didn't effect those he simply passed or were near, but those he had a one on one encounter with. Those he intended to kill, those he wanted to torment. Even if he only intended to torment them for a day, judging by how fast he was working in the reports since no one dare ask him a thing, let alone approach him, the scant number of survivors always reported nightmares.  
  
"Your nightmares are getting worse too. Youse told me before that you were told they'd get worse when Malice was back, and when he started to get close to you." Bendy pointed out, having noticed every time she had woken up and left his side. It didn't matter what time she tried to catch some sleep, be it day or night, her nightmares kept preventing her from having any restful sleep.  
  
_"That is a problem."_ Norman muttered _. "You're one of the few people with a real grasp of how to move such a large group around in a coordinated manner, and the only one those birds really listen to. If what you're saying is true, and your nightmares get worse the closer that bird comes, than we may be staring down the barrel of a serious attack.."_  
  
"We might need to split the caravan up. The smaller the groups the easier they can travel, and the less damage he can do in one strike-" Pippen began, before pausing."Or.."  
 _  
"Or?"_ Norman prompted.  
  
"Or we could shake him off the trail." Pippen stated. She looked up slowly. "Malice basically hates everything evenly, save one thing. Anyone who has escaped him prior-"  
  
"NO!" Bendy snapped, bristling as he realized where she was going with this. "You are not facing that monster! You're so exhausted you can barely stand as it is, and you told me you barely survived your first encounter! I ain't letting you go! This is insane!" He was holding her, one hand on her arm and the other tightly grasping her hand.  
  
"We can't do that. We need you here, and Bendy is right. You're in no condition to fight. You've barely slept in the past week, and I'm honestly surprised you haven't collapsed yet." Henry agreed.  
  
_"We need you here. You're the only one keeping the birds in line, and the only one keeping these idiots in line as well."_ Norman added, surprising Pippen. " _We aren't throwing you to the wolves to die alone. Your chances are better here, with everyone. We may loose some people but-"_  
  
"You don't understand, you don't know what he's capable of!" Pippen cut in as well, eyes widening at the suggestion of facing Malice with the caravan. "If we let him near the caravan, he will decimate it. It will be an absolute slaughter, and he will enjoy every moment of it."  
  
_"What **can** he do than, other than cause nightmare?"_ Norman demanded. _"And if he's so powerful, how did you survive with only a single bird helping you? That's what Cuphead and Mugman said Glory told them. We have six birds here, including a giant bird one like Malice, and the weird moth one."_  
  
"I-" Pippen paused, wobbling a bit. Her outburst had cost her precious energy, energy she didn't have to spare. She felt hands go under her as she was caught, Henry helping her up to sit on a nearby truck bed. The caravan had morphed into a strange blend of bikes, cars, carriages, trucks, and an overwhelming number of carts, beast drawn or hand drawn. It had been a challenge to coordinate, but they had managed, the bikes primarily being put up in the carts and cars to be reserved for emergencies. Some of the caravan members weren't happy to share space, but others didn't mind, and overall everyone was getting on well enough.  
  
"Luck. All we had was luck, and an area that provided us plenty of room to hide.." Pippen began. "We were just.. It was just a normal day-"  
  
  
======  
  
  
Pidge and Oliver stared at the gathered items, hyper aware of the Elven guard surrounding them. Most of the gathered pieces were feathers from various parts of the body, several chipped talons, and even a tooth. They all glowed with the protective spells put over them to cleanse them of their evil presence, though the black and red feathers, dotted with ember like specks of gold on some, were still unnerving to behold.  
  
The angel approached numbly, eyes tired and on edge. They still hadn't found Lyllen,and they had been forced to abandon the search as the Angelic Council upped their attacks on The Redwoods. They had only grown more feirce with each day, and no one was quite sure why they had escalated to such a degree, though theories abounded. None of them were good.  
  
He held the eye over the pile of goods, which the Elves intended to burn once he was done. They would have served their purpose once the memories they may offer were taken, and it was agreed to destroy them. It would be both an act of defiance and a purging of what evil still lurked around the fallen parts.  
  
The Eye pulsed red as it absorbed the memory it needed from the pieces, the memory playing back automatically as Pidge didn't put up any resistance to stop it-  
  
  
========  
  
 _  
Cecil flexed his wings, blue eyes bright. His pale white-blue sclera provided sharp contrast to the vivid blue of his eyes, bluer than the sky. His plumage was brown, with simple brown splotches covering his neck and chest. A simple boy, not likely to catch any other breeders eyes thanks to his simple plumage, but he was so much more than a breeder. He was her friend, and her first Stryx.  
  
"I still can't believe we made it to second place." Pippen mused as she watched Cecil happily strut around. They were sitting in the woods near the race 'track', which was just an open field and a set of wide, interconnected ravines with obstacles and the like jutting out of the walls. It was in the ravine that riders and their Stryx would become more harsh, jockeying for places .  
  
They hadn't entered for any prizes or real intent to compete, but as more practice for Cecil flying around moving obstacles, and still obstacles. They had done plenty of practice on the ranch, but the race provided a degree of stress that Pippen's exercises couldn't provide, pushing the blind Tyto to react faster and properly to the stimuli his sharp ears took in. And for the most part, Cecil had performed impressively. There was points where she had stepped in to provide guidance, keeping him on course and the like, but he had done a great deal of the work himself, as Pippen had intended him to do.  
  
"You did really good, Cec." She continued, grinning as the young adult turned to her, grinning his funny owl smile. His eyes would twist up with delight, and the edges of his mouth would twitch upwards. He was a pleasant, friendly bird, and had been an optimist from the moment he had been born. Despite being born without sight, it had never really bothered him. He liked it when they described things to him, even if he didn't comprehend colors.  
  
It was actually one of their little bonding rituals, Pippen describing the world around him in terms he could understand. And, it was a surprisingly handy activity in unexpected ways. She tended to notice things she hadn't on the initial look over when she was describing things to him. It was surprisingly helpful in ways she didn't expect, though not always. Either way, she still did it, because he appreciated it, and she appreciated him.  
  
Cecil paused, cocking his head in a way that told her he was listening to something. He turned, hooting softly.  
  
"Someone's coming. Someone large." Cecil warned, head twisting every which way as he worked to pinpoint the sound. "A Gryph, I think. The wing beats are heavy and spread wide, too long to be a Harpia."  
  
"A Gryph?" Pippen echoed. That wouldn't be too uncommon, given it was a race track, but the races were over for the day and most everyone had left, save her and Cecil. And most racers brought birds on the smaller end of the spectrum because of the size restraints of this particular course. It was primarily meant for newer riders, or those with low experience, and most of those had smaller, easier to maneuver Stryx.  
  
"It's definitely a Gryph." Cecil stated confidently after a moment. "Flying low, coming towards us. Maybe they're scavenging for food?"  
  
Despite their size, Gryphs were known for falling back on scavenging when the opportunity arose. Dead animals, abandoned meals, untended crops, anything that was easy pickings were inviting to a Gryph who wasn't too proud to do so. Which, in the end, was a good number of them, particularly the wild ones. Sometimes riders would bring meals for their Stryx here, and most finished their meals, but there was always a chance for scraps.  
  
"We should stay out of his way." Pippen murmured, leaning into the tree she stood by. They were supposed to be meeting up with a couple of the other students in this location, though they weren't due to arrive for another half hour or so. She and Cecil were supposed to lead them out on a hunting session and keep them in line, given they were all first years. It was late in the afternoon, near nightfall, and they usually didn't usually hunt nights since Cecil was Diurnal, but the first years were all nocturnal, and the trainers really needed the help. "Don't want to cause trouble with something that big."  
  
"He's coming here-" Cecil hooted, cutting himself off as the heavy wing beats became loud enough for Pippen to hear. It was undoubtedly something large, matching the sounds Pippen had heard from Gryph's taking off before. Not that she had doubted Cecil's ears. He was a reliable bird, and her intensive training to expose him to as much as possible had given him a great deal of knowledge to work with.  
  
"Well, hello there." A new voice purred, as the dark figure appeared. He was large for a Gryph, a rather handsome bird with no real signs of scarring. A horned Gryph, feathers spiking out of his head, as well as two distinctive tufts. He was primarily a deep black, deepening on his head, the ends of his wings and tail. Dark speckles drifted beneath these darker areas, like ashes fluttering off of something burnt, a scant few also scattered along his body. His secondary tail was 'scalloped', meaning the feathers along it were notably longer and spiked up, though the bloom of secondary tail feathers were like any others.  
  
His undersides were a deep plum-red, covering his neck, spiking along his chest and stomach, lower flanks, and most of the underside of his tail. Along his wing feathers and secondary tail feathers were jagged tips of red, the edges unusually sharp compared to what Pippen had seen. A red marking surrounded his eyes, while a crescent sharped mark, just slightly darker than his primary coat, marked the thick plumage of his neck.  
  
"Oh- Uh- Hi. What brings you?" Pippen awkwardly greeted. He wasn't a bird she was familiar with, and she knew, or knew of, most of the tamed Stryx in the area around Moonli Mountain, and the Gavlyx valley between the mountains. There weren't very many **tamed** Gryphs, and most of them were simple soil coats, shades of browns sometimes tinting into red-browns. She had never seen a Nox, or black, coated Gryph, given how rare the dark plumage was to pass to a Stryx children, unless both parents were Nox coated.  
  
"So you are beast tongued." The Gryph mused. "The outer lands really do have some rather.. interesting two legs."  
  
"Ah, yeah, it runs in the family."Pippen awkwardly offered. She hadn't spoken to many Gryphs, and the birds demeanor was unusually tame.  
  
"But to answer your question, I am simply a wanderer." The Gryph hummed, his tone smooth and confident. There.. There was something about his tone that didn't feel right to Pippen, despite the fact he hadn't' given a reason for them to distrust him. There was just something about his eyes that didn't match his tone. His eyes were watching them too intensely for comfort, an edge of ferality to them that undermined the tone. "I travel about here and there, seeking lovely ladies and a bit of fun."  
  
His explanation was rather bland, but most wild Stryx had similar motives. Travel for mates, to find territory to call their own, to just see things, or to explore. But there was something about his response that felt.. False. It just didn't feel right. Pippen wasn't sure what to make of the strange Gryph, and silently berated herself for distrusting him so quickly. She was jumping to conclusions for no reason at all.  
  
"Ah, well, there isn't as much to see out here on the outer edges like in central Wyvera, but we have a couple interesting natural formations. The mountains provide a lot of caves for spelunking, and mineral gathering.." She began, trying to be polite. She was gesturing every which way with her hand, a nervous habit, trying to dissipate the heat that was gathering around her palms as her nerves acted up. Last thing she needed was to spark a fire in the middle of a nice conversation. Sometimes being part demon, even if it came with some neat abilities and a stronger affinity to fire based magic, would turn around to bite her in the rear when she was nerved up.  
  
"Really now? Interesting." The Gryph answered, humming noncommittally. He was staring at her more intensely now, the intensity having slowly been ramping up, as if he were enjoying the unease he was causing her. Cecil had paced closer to Pippen, sensing the slight waver in her tone, and the strange aura that surrounded this Gryph. While he preffered not to judge people and Stryx from the first meeting, let alone after a few minutes, there was something about this bird he just didn't like. "But.. I think I've found my entertainment for the day here."  
  
The pair stopped in confusion, Cecil tensing as he heard the Gryph shift, the muscles tensing in the larger birds body. Suddenly, he sprang forward, snatching the hand Pippen had been nervously gesturing with, intending to take the entire thing. His aim lead to his teeth closing over her pinky and severing it entirely, and damage the rest her hand, but the unnatural heat that had been gathering around the part-demon's hand had him quickly snatching his beak back as his tongue sizzled in response to the heat.  
  
A hoarse cry from the Gryph laced the air with Pippen's screech of shock, Cecil screeching in alarm. He lunged forward, grabbing Pippen by the collar and dragging her away, his quick actions getting her out of range as the beast lunged once more, this time aiming for her stomach. Amber eyes met wild reds, the mask completely gone, revealing the feral monster hiding beneath. His face was twisted with fury from the burns he had sustained, but overwriting that was **delight** , the taste of blood thrilling him to the core.  
  
Pippen twisted to hold onto Cecil, pulling her limbs up to try and keep out of his way as the Tyto ran, mocking laughter echoing from behind them. She could hear the Gryph begin to chase, but the head start allowed them to make it to the cave Cecil was running for, one with an entrance to narrow for the large bird to enter, though he could reach in with his head. They ran in deep, Cecil hissing with alarm, the scent of blood in his mouth and noise. Pippen's blood, his **mother's** blood. She may not be his biological mother, but she had raised him with the love and attention of one, and it had kindled that kind of relationship between them.  
  
"Come out, little worms." The Gryph called, chuckling slowly.  
  
"What the he- Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!" Pippen shouted back, the shock of the attack still gripping her. She was staring at her wounded hand, particularly her now stubby pinky, shaking with horror. It had been there mere minutes ago, mere minutes, and now it was gone for good. It was just a pinky, but if could have been her **entire** hand, would have been her entire hand if not for the nervous habit of heat and embers gathering around her hands the more anxious she became. Dad had been right when he had told her it was as much a blessing as as she thought of it as a curse.  
  
The bird cackled again. "Simple, trusting Two-leg. Do you not know of my legend? I am the one they call Malice, the undying. I am Death incarnate, little worm."  
  
Cecil hissed in alarm, pressing closer to Pippen, who trembled in terror. They had both heard legends of Malice, but no one had ever described the bird that haunted Wyvera like an unrelenting nightmare. She had heard he was a Gryph but.. She had never thought she would encounter such a gruesome legend. She had never though such a terrible beast could pretend to be a common Stryx so well.  
  
"Begone from this place!" Cecil hissed in defiance, trying his hardest to sound brave. "You have no business here, monster! The gods will damn you to the void for eternity for your crimes!"  
  
Malice cackled once more, the woods outside darkening as unnatural storm clouds closed in, summoned by the beast that had them pinned in the shallow cave. "Foolish worm, the 'Gods' have no power over me. I have died again and again, and no God dare to try and tangle with me. Your pitiful Gods have no power here, little hatchling. They have no power to help you now. Now, all that awaits you is death."  
  
The young pair fell silent, the teenager pressing into the young Stryx. Neither of them had been in a real fight, they had only ever participated in practice bouts which were heavily restricted for the riders and Stryx safety. They were meant to train one how to fight, but how to fight a common Stryx, not a monster who could not be put down. Outside, lightning crackled through the sky to punctuate the monsters words.  
  
He spoke no further, and they did not either, not moving as the heavy wing beats signaled the Gryph taking off. He could not, would not, fly far, and they would not be lured out so simply. They would wait an entire day if they were given the chance to, instead of risking walking straight into the bird's waiting talons-  
  
A rumble echoed from above the cave, cracks echoing through the cave as stones tumbled down, scattering across the cave's floor, the stones bouncing off of them as well. The monstrous Gryph they had fled was bringing it's full weight to bare onto the stone above them, threatening the structure. It was clear it's weight was causing the cave to crumple, and they needed to act before they were buried alive!  
  
Her left hand burned, the fingers mangled, save for her pinky. Instead, it was little more than a bleeding stub, spurts of hot blood still escaping it occasionally. She tore her shirt to wrap the wound, binding her hand the best she could with only one hand, and with Cecil's help to hold parts of the binding with his beak, but outside of that there was nothing she could do for it now. It would be a miracle if she didn't loose function in all of her fingers as it was, or the entire hand to infection.  
  
The exit to the cave was dark, near dark as night, though nightfall was still an hour or so away. It felt unnatural and wrong, the air tense and thick with the scent of ozone. Even though their was no thunder, she couldn't shake the feeling that lightning could strike at any moment. It had appeared in response to the Gryph's attack, and she couldn't shake the feeling the monstrous bird and storm was connected.  
  
Pippen's mind was racing as the cave shook and trembled around them. They couldn't stay here, he would bring the entire cave down on them and leave them to slowly suffocate beneath the rocks if they didn't act. She hopped onto Cecil's back, the Tyto trembling slightly with fear, but his expression held defiance. She was rapidly working through all the things she knew about the area, Cecil tensing as he was pointed towards the exit, preparing to run.  
  
Immediately outside the cave was the forest they had run through to reach the cave, a deterrent for the larger bird, something that would make landing a more complicated matter so long as they were inside the forest. There were the ravines as well, densely packed in such a way that it would be difficult for him to follow them into it, and she was pretty sure the 'game charms', simple charms with spells attached to them that could be collected and used in the races to make things more interesting, had been restocked after the last race. Those could come in handy.  
  
Then there were the mines, one the Rakoa, a group of crow like humanoids, had built without the race track owners permission. It was a hotly contested matter, one made more difficult by the fact the Rakoa did not expect the laws of the land for the most part. There were many resources to be had in the mine, but the Rakkoa's methods upset the land owners, given they were using explosive fairly frequently, and their was fear that the patrons of the race area would be harmed by the Rakoa's carelessness. There was likely plenty of gunpowder still in the tunnels despite the ongoing dispute.  
  
Maybe, Maybe.. But she didn't have any more time to think. They needed to move **now** , before the cave crumbled.  
  
"The next time he lands above us, run. Don't take off. Stay in the forest. I'll guide you between the denser trees. Aim for the ravines. He won't be able to follow us down there." Pippen ordered, the tall owl nodding. The moment the next rumble echoed through the cave, the Tyto exploded out of the exit, shooting into the trees in seconds. Behind them, a screech came from their attacker, the heavy beat of wings echoing through the unnaturally still air as they were pursued.  
  
Malice flew over the woods, trailing after them, unable to drop down thanks to the dense foliage they purposely ran through.. Not that he intended to. He screeched another terrible cry, and moments later the storm replied.  
  
**CRAAAAZZZAAAAAATCH!**  
  
Lightning exploded from the sky, several bolts striking the trees, which exploded into flames. Cecil screeched in shock, but stayed the course, Pippen's natural affinity for fire helping to keep them safe as she twisted the wild flames away from them. She couldn't deter the heat, however, something that warned Cecil of the danger they were truly in. Another screech came from above, and several more bolts struck the forest, lighting more of it aflame, ensuring they couldn't remain in the woods even if they had intended to.  
  
"Nokt help us, it can control the storm!" Pippen gasped, terror coursing through her veins. In the open air they would be sitting ducks, unless there was a limit to how frequently he could do it. They didn't risk testing the matter further, instead racing across the open ground between the forest and the ravine. It took a terrifying minute to cross the open space, swerving and darting wildly to make it harder to lock onto them, Malice **just** missing them by inches as he swept down, crashing into the ground to try and crush them.  
  
He screamed in fury as they dove into the tight ravine, darting beneath the metal and wood obstacles, putting everything they could between them and the bird. It was a small mercy they had dropped so low, as several minutes into their flight a fresh bout of lightning struck down, the metal drawing the electricity away from them. Sparks flew, burning them both, but not damaging either of them enough to stop them. The shadow of Malice loomed above, looking for an opportunity, a point he could fit in and grab them. It was clear there would be no outpacing him. If they wanted to escape, they would have to provide some form of deterrent, something to drive him off.  
  
Ahead of them, a charm dangled from one of the obstacles, the pair taking the risk to close in and catch ahold of it. Pippen tied it to Cecil's saddle, barely noting what type of charm it was. A wind charm, a flexible spell with many possible uses, being it slowing down opponents, speeding yourself up with a good tailwind, or scattering dust into or other debris into the air.  
  
"The mines!" Pippen hissed, Cecil picking up her voice over the crackle and rumble of the furious storm. "Head for the mines. The Rakoa are bond to have more in there than they've admitted to." Cecil hooted sharply in understanding, carrying on like he had ever intent to just fly the ravine alone. When they finally reached the point where the illegal mine had been built, he dropped, zipping into the cave confidently, following the sound of the wind, which had picked up when they fled the cave, as it hissed around and into the entrance.  
  
The mine itself was more of a challenge, but there was still space to fly, something the Rakoa ensured in all they did. They couldn't stand small, cramped spaces, and as such the cave was rather wide, but well supported with wooden frames and the like. Pippen didn't dare to cast a flame in this place, fearing gas leaks or stray gunpowder, instead casting a simple ball of light to run ahead of them. Cecil might not need it, but every ounce of help she could provide mattered, and she needed to be able to see to help him.  
  
Above, the cave shook with the monstrous Gryph's fury, the supports creaking and groaning. It was as if any inanimate object he aimed his fury towards would begin to wither away and decay, ensuring that not even this fairly well built mine could provide them safety. Not that either of them intended to stay in there for long. What Pippen had in mind was a desperate gamble, but if it worked, it would see the beast driven away, if not totally crippled.  
  
She pulled hard on Cecil's tack moments before he zipped over the objects she sought, the Tyto landing nervously, shifting from talon to talon. As the mine shook and trembled, Pippen hopped off his back, collecting several sacks of gunpowder. With a simple spell, she put a barrier around them, one that would hopefully be strong enough to stop the bags from catching flame if a lightning strike came to close. If it hit them.. Well, the gunpowder would be the least of their problems than. It going off in that event would likely kill them, a small mercy if they were struck by the lightning.  
  
"Cecil, I think I have a plan but.. It's risky. We might very well die. And- And if we do. I just want to say.. I'm honored to have known you and work with you." Pippen declared in a breathless voice, her heart beating hard in her chest. This could be the end, after everything they had survived, all the challenges overcome.  
  
"I trust you, Pippen." Cecil murmured. "I'll follow your lead without hesitation. I'm grateful Galyx blessed me with you as my mother."  
  
Pippen smiled weakly, hugging her 'son', pride blossoming in her chest. He was still young, just a mere three years old, but he was such a wonderful bird.  
  
They were back in the air in seconds later, wings beating the air of the cave, the airflow guiding Cecil back out of the cave. Now they just needed to get the gunpowder onto the Gryph.. Which was the greatest challenge. Not only would they have to dodge the lightning, but the massive beast's talons and fangs, a beast who had been driven even more wild with their evasiveness.  
  
They shot out of the mines as Malice landed above, though he had caught onto this tactic. Lightning crackled out of the sky, striking stone and obstacles, but mercifully missing them. They surprised him as they shot out of the ravine, a bag of gunpowder slamming into his face, the black powder exploding over his head and neck. A second pelted his back, spreading it further, but much of his mass was still free of the dangerous substance.  
  
Cecil cried in defiance as they flew over him, shooting up towards the clouds, goading the massive Gryph into the sky. He stuck close to them, snapping furiously, tearing tail feathers off of Cecil and cutting gouges into his tail, but never getting a firm grip on them, allowing them to just stay ahead. They didn't fly straight, but instead twisted through the air every which way, using their natural agility and flexibility to keep the Gryph turning every which way. They managed to get two more of the bags to collide with his form, coating his right wing in particular, but their methods were unnervingly slow compared to how much time they spent dodging Malice's strikes.  
  
And with every blow, they were taken higher and higher, closer to the electrically charged clouds. As best as Pippen could guess, they still had several minutes before the next barrage would be ready, but she with their current methods they wouldn't get far before the storm was ready to strike. Cecil was working his hardest, but their was only so much he could do.  
  
The green charm dangling from his saddle caught his eye again, an idea snapping into place at the sight of the wind charm. It was a risky maneuver, but compared to everything else they had done so far, it was only slightly more risky. She took a deep breath, before grasping the charm. She had practiced with wind magic, though she wasn't as proficient with it as she was with fire, but with the charm she would be able to perform a fairly powerful spell. Hopefully, she could do this correctly.  
  
"Cecil, I need you to fly straight until I tell you not to." She ordered, the Tyto glancing back in surprise at her. To do so would make it far easier for Malice to lock onto him.. But he trusted her judgement. After the next snap from Malice, he abandoned his twisting, turning pattern and began to fly straight, flying with an upwards tilt to force Malice to pursue him. The Gryph didn't hesitate, following the pair eagerly, assuming he had become too tired to dodge around anymore.  
  
Once he was close, Pippen snapped the charm, activating the spell. Within seconds, she split open the last two bags of gunpowder, the wind **mostly** preventing any of it from sprinkling onto Cecil. The overwhelming majority of the dark powder coated the Gryph, who plowed forward, opening his eyes once the powder rain had ceased, not realizing what it was he was covered with.  
  
"NOW! UP!" Pippen ordered the moments after the sack was emptied, the last of the spell power being used to boost Cecil's speed with a good tail wind, taking them up towards the clouds. Malice screeched as they closed in on the unnatural clouds, which were beginning to crackle and rumble ominously. "Over the clouds!"  
  
She could be sure she would be able to get a proper lock on Malice to set him ablaze with her own spells, but his fury had blinded him to the danger he was putting himself into. Surely if they crested the clouds before the lightning struck, they would be safe. Malice was trailing just far enough behind them that he would be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or so she hoped. All of her timing was guess work, and at this point they were just guessing and hoping for the best.  
  
Piercing the clouds was unnerving, a strange tension overcoming them as they passed through them, unlike any other time they had flown through a cloud. They could hear the crackle of lightning as it began to form, the screech of Malice just behind them as they crested the cloud, Cecil's tail just within it-  
  
**CRAAAAZZZAA-WHOOOMP**!  
  
Fire exploded beneath them as the dry gunpowder met a spark from the cloud, igniting the furious Gryph into a screeching, smoking ball of rage. It exploded out from around him, catching Cecil's tail and a patch of gunpowder on his back, lighting them as well, smoke trailing the wounds even after Pippen forced the flames to snuff out. For several moments they were blind, smoke and the shrieks of both Stryx the only stimuli that could be processed. Cecil stopped beating his wings in response to the pain, plummeting briefly.  
  
They zipped past something large, something that had to be Malice, who was twisting everywhich way, beginning to plummet as well despite his desperate wing beats. His body had been damaged, in particular his flight feathers, rendering him nearly helpless. His left wing was still mostly in tact, but his right wing's feathers were totally fried, most of them to brittle and fragile to catch the wind and hold him up anymore.  
  
"Cecil! Cecil!" Pippen's desperate voice cut through the fog of pain, Cecil snapping back to his senses, wings beating furiously to correct their course. His wings were in tact, the burns along the length of his tail and small patches of his back. He could still fly, though it was uncertain if the feathers would ever grown back properly in the burned areas. But this was hardly the time to worry about his looks.  
  
As they pierced the cloud of smoke, the form of Malice fell out after them, using his good wing to try and aim for them, still trying to end their lives. They flew out of his range, realizing the extent of the damage. He was just barely in control, his right wing hampering him greatly, but it was intact enough for a controlled crash. They couldn't allow that.  
  
The pair turned, now aiming for him, bolts of fire coming from Pippen as they flew, sparking the few patches of gunpowder that hadn't gone off already to light, the monster screeching in pain. The sound didn't stop them, knowing what it was he intended to do to them, and to man others after them. Cecil dodged the weak blows of the beast, tearing into his exposed flesh with his talons, shrieking with fury and defiance.  
  
Every blow helped to weaken the monster further, who was helpless to stop them as his feathers were stripped away. His maneuverability was destroyed by the loss of his feathers, and though he could still twist through the air, it was wild and uncontrolled, and if he was careless he would end up on his back, and a landing like that couldn't be afforded. A terrible aura exploded around him to deter further attacks. They couldn't pierce the dark aura without hurting themselves, something they both sensed.  
  
The pair flew away, not to flee but to prepare for one final gamble, flying into a patch of moonlight, which peered through the punctured storm clouds. Together, they began to cast a powerful spell, combining all of their strength and pleading Nokt for her aid as they prepared for one final strike. Moon light gathered around them as the spell successfully took, the pair flying toward, intending to strike from behind. As they circled him, streaks of moonlight echoed off of Cecil, small Tyto shaped lights that collided with the Gryph, cutting through his aura and striking his body below. Their prayers clearly answered, the duo prepared to strike, Cecil twisting to fly perpendicular to the Gryph.  
  
With the aid of the moon blessed spell, Cecil's wing sliced through not only the bird's aura, but his wing as well, a screech of rage filled pain exploding from the monster. They kept flying, flying above the Gryph and circling around once more. Malice was careening out of control, unable to control his plummet any longer, his current course setting him for a collision with several jagged rocks below. He was desperately trying to change his course, to preserve his life a little longer-  
  
The Tyto and rider collided with his back, putting the force of their spell behind the strike, driving him downwards rapidly. Seconds later, and the Gryph's chest was peirced by the jagged stone, dark red blood, near black, gushing from the wound as a final, horrendous screech echoed from the infuriated beast. He glared at them with hateful red eyes, beak parted open, blood coughing out of his mouth even as he tried to snarl and hiss at them.  
  
"I will... ck.." He hissed, but neither they Tyto or rider paid him heed. They had already flown off of his back, the last of the spell draining away, leaving them utterly exhuasted. Cecil stumbled several yards from the monster, before collapsing, Pippen already unconscious before he dropped.  
  
Three young Stryx, and their inexperienced riders, had been there to see the final part of the battle, and to recover the fallen pair once they dropped. One flew ahead to gather more help as the other two provided what aid they could, awe struck by the portion of the battle they had seen.  
  
_  
=========  
  
"At least, the last part is what I was told." Pippen offered. "If it wasn't for our luck, and literal intervention from the Gods, we would probably be dead. I've heard Malice is know to heal from even the worse wounds, and he would have likely come after us again if we hadn't finished him there."  
  
At some point Cuphead and Mugman had snuck up to listen in on the story, as well as several other toons, though Pippen hadn't noticed. She only realized the small crowd she had gathered as she looked up from her fiddling hands, her eyes widening a bit in surprise. She flushed at the awe struck looks on some of them, muttering softly. "Most of the work was Cecil's doing..."  
  
_"Sounds like you only survived because you had a home advantage."_ Norman rumbled. _"Which is only another reason why you aren't going to face that bird alone."_  
  
Henry nodded in agreement. "Especially not with what he can do with storms.."  
  
"I-.. I guess." Pippen muttered.  
  
"You aren't going." Bendy declared, crossing his arms. Pippen was usually so smart, but for some reason she seemed fixed on this crazy idea. "That trick ain't going to work twice I bet."  
  
"It probably won't." Pippen agreed. "He learns from his mistakes. That's one of the things that's been continuously noted about him in every iteration of his returns. He always learns from his past lives."  
  
_"We're going to have to talk to the magi in the caravan to see what can be done in the way of defense.."_ Norman mused, turning to walk towards another portion of the camp. Other toons were drifting away as well, likely to spread what they had learned. Gossip was inevitable in the group. Pippen just hoped that it wouldn't be overblown. _"In the mean time, try and get some actual sleep. I hear that Gibbly guy has a bunch of medicine on him, particularly sleeping medicine. Maybe it will help you some."_  
  
"It's worth a shot." Henry encouraged. "We'll stay with you when you take it. You'll be safe." He could see the wariness on her face t thought of taking something that would knock her out. While the though of real sleep was oh so inviting, the fear of being unconscious when she was needed conflicted against it. "It's will be strong enough to help you sleep, but you won't be totally helpless. Gibbly is a practicing doctor. He knows what he's doing."  
  
"I.. I guess we could try." Pippen muttered, wringing her tail nervously.  
  
"It'll be fine, Dollface. I promise." Bendy hummed, wrapping a protective arm around her. She leaned into him tiredly, closing her eyes to try and relax, nodding. It would be fine. She needed to believe that. Henry and Bendy had her back...  
  
  
=======  
  
  
"The storm-" Pidge gasped, his face pale. "The lightning- Gale's wound. It wasn't an accident."  
  
"Malice planned the whole damn thing!" Oliver squawked. "He came after them both, and ended up with a minion to work for him! And I bet you she don't even know! I can't imagine no one willingly working for someone who injured them like that-"  
  
"That's why we were sent here." Pidge muttered. "The truth will undermine Spite's loyalty entirely.."  
  
"If she'll believe us.." Oliver muttered darkly.  
  
"We have The Eye. It shows the past perfectly." Pidge offered weakly, though he knew the chances of getting such a violent bird to settle down long enough to see the memory was unlikely. Not unless they snuck in.. "I.. I think it's time to go undercover, like I originally planned. If I can sneak The Eye under her.. And she sees the truth.."  
  
"That's assuming she doesn't kill you!" Oliver argued. "They say she's as vicious as that Malice!"  
  
"It's the only option I can think of!" Pidge argued. The pair nearly continued, before one of the guards stepped in to make them settle down.  
  
"We will take this to the Elder. They will decide how to handle what has been discovered." The man stated, the pair slowly simmering down. It was better than arguing back and forth between themselves, and Uridove might know something they did not..  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3/11/2020 - Malice's design was changed mildly, loosing the gold speckles due to a misunderstanding  
> theyre black now, and a gold mark is on his chest in the present, but not his past form


	29. Taking Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
Dozens of Stryx had begun to assemble, some with riders, others wild, when news first came out of the abduction of a rider and Stryx by a platoon of strange beings. Curious, nosy Stryx investigating a strange rumor from a strange corner of Wyvera. They found confirmation from the Ranch Stryx, and even some of the local wild Stryx confirmed it to the other wild ones. The rumors had steadily gotten out, and spread further, drawing in more Stryx and concerned riders.  
  
Than Redfall had returned several days prior, unleashing the floodgates of information, and drawing in hundreds of concerned Stryx with word of _void worship_ and _war_ that could come and overtake Wyvera. Anyone he came across he told everything after he had delivered his message to Gru, who was quick to assemble the people of the area together to discuss the matter. The people gathered together to discuss at a village near the base of Sunna, the ranchers trying to keep things calm.  
  
The Stryx had gathered in the valley, tamed and wild alike, gathering on the southern edge of Tulli Lake to discuss the matter and possibly a plan of attack. Be they diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular, bats, runners, avians, and even microstryx, the rare messenger breed, it did not matter. All gathered as equals, a spectrum of colors and markings between them. Sizes, feather types, tail types, and odd additional traits varied between them, but they were all Stryx, and the situation called for them to come together as one.  
  
Any who served the void was the enemy of the DracoStryx, save the most corrupted among them.   
  
Chirps, Squawks, and calls of all kind echoed between them, whispering and muttering and chattering to those who understood beast tongue. They had gathered to learn the truth, to have the rumors and theories that had interwoven itself into word of what was happening cast away. Some had heard the absolute worse possibility, that the entirety of a country connected to Wyvera by magic was actively worshiping the void and ready to spread it. Others heard rumors of these 'angels' being among them, infiltrating Stryx and Wyverian society to turn them against the gods. If it was negative, and could be theorized, than the gossips among them had happily spread it.   
  
One particular gossip was seated near the front of the group, eagerly listening in on everything. She had been there when Redfall had first returned, and she knew the truth, but listening to how the story had morphed was absolutely entertaining to her.   
  
Despite her Nokt blessed markings, glowing markings that ran across her form that she could turn off and on as desired and literally seen as a blessing of the moon god by most, she knew how to go unnoticed when she desired. Being a Tetroa, a messenger Stryx breed, helped immensely, with her being a bit larger than the common parrot.  
  
By some, a Tetroa was described as a 'fluffy pigeon' or 'fluffy chicken', though Phoebe would peck the heck out of anyone who dare say such a thing in front of her. Her form.. Was a bit chicken like, maybe in the chest area, but she had thicker, more powerful legs. Her tail was thick and fluffy, with a fan of feathers at the end, with plenty of fluff on the underside as well. She had a great deal of fluffy feathers basically, and short but powerful wings that would take her to the sky. Her head was ovular, her beak thin and sharp, while the end of her fluffy feet held thick talons. Her beak and talons could glow as well, and sported the same purple hue as the dors running the length of her body, as did her eyes. A badger like swoop marked the area around those glowing eyes, curving over the midsection of her head to connect on both sides.  
  
Phoebe was primarily black, with white feathers running along the underside of her chind, throat, much of her stomach, lower legs, and under tail. Her chest was marked with a deep red mark, similar to a robins, while her flight feathers were a deep plum. Along the black portion of her body were a trail of 'owldrops' dark teardrop like marks that followed the curvature of her body, with a white dot inside each one. Along with that was wild white speckling, coating the darker portions of her body, save her upper head and tail feathers.  
  
Overall, she was quite the looker by Stryx standards, and she was not afraid to acknowledge such a fact. Sure, others would call her conceited, but they were either jealous of her looks, or mad because she knew something about them they didn't want to be known. When she wasn't sent to deliver important message, Phoebe was very good at sneaking around and finding out everyone's secrets, as well as the most recent and juiciest gossip.  
  
She sat tall with pride on her perch as she waited for the meeting to start, as Cecil had told her that, no matter how this meeting went, he would have an important job for her, one of the utmost importance. More important than her nosing through the wild visitors business, so important she needed to stay where she could be reached immediately.   
  
A loud crow, a shrieking hoot, and the sharp cry of a hawk called the attention of the chattering group, the sound slowly petering out as the assembled Stryx turned to face the three who had called the meeting. Two representatives of Sunna ranch, who members were the first to become involved in the matter and find out the depths of how serious it was, and one of Moonli ranch, the most prominent location on the eastern side of the valley.   
  
Standing atop the rocks near Tulli lake were the representatives, looking out over the crowd. First was the Cecil, the strange blind Tyto, and the second his brother, the albino hawk Gavan. Both were there acting as Sunna's representatives, and had good enough standing that most Stryx would at the least hear them out. The third was La Lune, the old Corva looking over them with sharp blue eyes. The thick dashes of frost and splattering of flecks along her form, and the odd markings upon her forehead and face, drew more than a little attention to her, though her fierce eyes made most think twice.  
  
_"You all know why we're here."_ La Lune croaked, not bothering to waste her time with introductions of any sort. " _So I will start with the facts. This connection to the other land has existed for longer than I, and most of you, have been alive, possibly for hundreds of years. It has not recently appeared, or recently been created. It has been hidden and guarded by myself and others of the Moonthorn clan for years now, waiting for word from the one we had met from the other side."_  
  
Questions began to rise from the crowd, only to be met by an irate screech from La Lune. _"Shut yer traps already and I will tell you everything! Waste my time and you'll only be extending how long you have to wait to find the answer."_ The crowd slowly quieted, eyeing the old Corva warily, or with annoyance.   
  
_"As I was saying, we have hidden the passage, and have done so for years for a reason. On the other side is Tunis, the homeland of Toons, and I swear if you start squawking again I will personally start tearing feathers from your idiot hides."_ She paused, letting the threat hang. The local Stryx were quiet, knowing better than to test La Lune. _"Toons are a contested matter in Wyvera, as we all know, and a matter of concern to most two legs. For Toons, it is the same towards the two legs of Wyvera, and the reason was **war**. Long ago, we discovered through the ruins of abandoned Wyverian cities and towns of times long past that a terrible war sprang up between Wyvera and Tunis, though none could give a clear reason why. The hostilities were there, and both sides were set to slaughter one another."_  
  
"By the aid of the gods, Tunis and Wyvera were separated to prevent the opposing sides from murdering one another, for even Toons are the grandchildren of the gods, as are humans, Stryx, and all beings of the Earth. As such, they were separated, and while distrust and hatreds linger, both sides have slowly healed. That is why this passage exists. It is believed it was meant for to be a contact point between cooler heads to begin the long process of creating peace between our lands once more."  
  
 _"And that is what we tried to do. Agatha Moonthorn and I met and educated a toon of that land, one Mickey Mouse, heir to the throne. It was a meeting fated by the gods, I am certain. He spent a year learning of our land, of our way, our people, and of the ways of the Dracostryx. He even reared a Dracostryx companion to better learn and understand our ways. It was through this both sides learned of the mistake it is to blindly hate one another. And with this belief in his heart, the Prince left, taking his companion with him, to prepare Tunis for peace.."_  
  
_"But then we lost contact with him several years ago. Keiko, his companion, ceased to deliver letters to us, and no information came through the passage. It was because of this that we called upon a favor from our compatriots of Sunna mountain, and asked of them to deliver a letter. A letter in hopes of continuing the attempts for peace, to take a different path, for the letters were received prior to the lose of communication were.. worrying. Slowly, the king's power was being undermined, the things he was trying to teach his people being warped into messages of hate and distrust. And yet we did not receive many details at the time as to who it was to blame for this."_  
  
La Lune stepped back, allowing Gavan to step forward, the hawk speaking with a strong voice. _"That is where we come in. Several months ago, one of the owners of the ranch, and former student of Moonli ranch, undertook this job, leaving with one of our fellow ranch mates, Glory Asunder, the Harpia and Redfall, a cardinal microstryx. What was estimated to be a week long job extended far beyond that deadline, and we had not heard word from her for all these months, until last week, when Redfall returned. Then we learned everything that had occurred while they were there."_  
  
Slowly, they relayed much of what Pippen and Redfall had learned in Tunis, their ways, their technology, the councils, the missing king.. The crowd was quiet for the most part, listening intently as this other land was outlined to them. Gavan and Cecil alternated between speaking to help preserve one anothers voice.   
  
_"We have reason to believe the source of Void worship, and the endangerment to **both** Tunis and Wyvera originates in what is known as the 'Angelic Council'. They have great influence in the land, the most of all the councils present, but they hide their true masters behind a veil of light and lies, working their evil acts in secret. It has been reported they have been abducting the people of Tunis to turn them to their own purposes, and force them to be loyal to both their council, and whatever Void entity they serve._" Cecil continued. _"What is most important to understand is this. **Not all of Tunis worships the void.** It is only the Angelic Council, and those loyal to them, and even then it is only a small portion within that know the whole truth."_  
  
_"Most who do not know the whole truth follow their leaders because they have been raised to be loyal to those above them, and to the council. Others believe they are following a true god, one they call Angelis, which is likely the Void entities false name used to siphon energy in the form of worship and devotion of those who do not realize what they serve. They believe they are on a holy crusade to cleanse Tunis of evil._ " Gavan rumbled  
  
_"It is those who have not fallen for the delusion we intend to reach out to. We can not allow an entity of the void to gather any further followers or power, we can not allow this horrendous crime of erasing a beings true identity to continue. If we do not tackle this problem now, than it **will** spread to Wyvera, and it will be so much worse than_." Cecil declared.   
  
_"There are those actively resisting the Angelic Council. Two locations were named to us in particular, and are the ones we intend to aid. They are The Redwoods of Tunis, and Inkwell Isle. The former will be the easiest to reach from what information we have, but require the greatest number to defend due to it's size and the number of refuges it will draw in. The second will be far more difficult, as it is within conquered territory already but is a key point to hold as it puts any who holds it within a stones throw of the Angelic Councils seat of power._ " La Lune called. _"For this, we purpose the construction of three flights. The flight of the Moon, who will remain behind to defend the passage and Wyvera."_  
  
"The Flight of the Sun, which will I will lead, and be comprised of those who are most willing to face the harsher conditions of reaching and securing Inkwell Isles." Gavan confidently declared, looking over the sea of faces.   
_  
"And finally the Flight of the Eclipse, who will head for The Redwoods, and aid the refuges we come across on the way to preserve those toons who still defy the Angelic Council and their Void master."_ Cecil stated, standing tall. Beneath him, below the rocks, Cassia stood, their to be his eyes as they flew into the unknown land. _"However, there is one final matter that must be considered, and that matter is the threat of Malice."_  
  
A flurry of cries escaped the crowds, half of the group knowing the threat Malice posed, while the younger half began to question who he was. Word of what he was quickly got around, though several harsh calls from La Lune quieted them. They needed to reign things in and keep it under control before the group broke apart.  
  
_"Malice has returned, sooner than he should have, and it is theorized this is in part due to the Void entity that the Angelic Council serves, though this is merely a theory."_ Cecil began. Other members of the group were whispering, the knowledge of who Cecil as in connection to Malice rapidly spreading through the group. This polite, blind Tyto, who stood so calmly before them, had helped to fell a beast like Malice. Confidence began to return to the group at that fact, that the most unlikely among them had somehow prevailed.   
  
_"What we **do** know is that Malice is back, and active in Tunis, and that his actions are suspiciously helpful to the Angelic Council's cause. As such, we who travel to Tunis will likely be met with fear and confusion, but we can not let that stop us. We **can not** permit Malice to be the example we are all compared to. As such, I ask of you who choose to come to choose your actions wisely, for it will reflect not just on yourself but our species as a whole."_ Gavan warned.   
  
_"And that when we enter Tunis, there is a chance that Malice may come to face us."_ Cecil warned. _"But know this. Malice has **never** faced a flight of the size we can form from those gathered here. Malice is a wretched coward who has only ever attacked small groups, and those who are alone. He is a plague that has haunted Wyvera for years, returning relentlessly time and time again. If we meet him, we **have** the power to put that monster in it's place once more. He will lie to you, taunt you, and torment you, but know that he is no god. He is a mortal, just as us, and with the protection of the gods we will avail. The Gods have power over all things, and prevail over even the void. Always remember this."_  
  
_"We will give you a day to get your affairs in order if you desire to join the Flight of the Eclipse or Sun."_ La Lune stated after a moment. _"Those of you who seek to join the Flight of the Moon, we will gather at the monument of Nokt upon Moonli mountain tomorrow night. And understand this. Both the Flights of Eclipse and Sun are going to aid the refugees of Tunis, even if that means sending them here. I know for a fact that Agatha Moonthorn fully intends to take in any Tunis refugee who comes through the passage, and I intend to fully support her. We will not be blindly trusting them, but we will not be turning them to the wilds either. If the possibility of encountering a toon bothers you in any way, then **leave**. I do not have the time or patience to deal with any petty misgivings. Unless you have a real problem, I will tolerate no complaints of the Toons who come here. I say this with the full might of Moonli Ranch behind, as we have already gotten our house in order and in agreement. Do not test us."  
_  
With that, she took off, leaving the group to speak between themselves. Phoebe was puffed up with excitement, and quickly jumped up the rocks to Cecil and Gavan, an expectant look on her face.   
  
_"All right boys, what's my job?"_ She demanded. All this business of flights and refugees had her excitedly vibrating in place, her Nokt blessed markings glowing intensely.   
  
_"You are the herald of the Flights."_ Cecil stated. _"You are going today, if you accept the job, into Tunis to tell all you can find of our coming. We have been told that beast toons, those who hold a strong resemblance to the Anthros of Wyvera, naturally understand beast tongue like them. Let them know we come, and what purpose we come for. Tell them they can seek refuge here, if The Redwoods are too far, and how to reach Moonli. And most important of all, tell their leaders we are coming to aid them."_  
  
Phoebe listened closely, feathers twitching with excitement. _"If I accept the job? Are you kidding me? Like I would pass this up! The first Tetroa to enter Tunis will be **me** , and I will be coming on an important mission to top it off! I'd like to see Redfall's face when he finds out!"_ She cackled, wings beating in excitement. " _And I'll get to see Glory again. I can't wait to see his face when he sees me too!"_  
  
"You're being sent on an important mission, Phoebe, act like it." Gavan sighed.  
  
_"Excuse me, you are talking to a world class messenger. Like I'd forget my task. Who do you think I am, Redfall?"_ She scoffed, taking off. _"Everyone in Tunis will know you're coming before you even come through._ "  
  
_"I wish we had a different messenger to send.."_ Gavan muttered as she vanished.   
  
_"Redfall is to tired from flying non-stop to get back here, and too small for the task. Phoebe is loud and noticeable, and will get the word out fast."_ Cecil hummed.   
  
_"I hope you're right."_ Gavan sighed.  
  
=======  
  
Bendy watched Pippen sleep, the imp curled up to Henry's side, having rolled off the pallet they were using for a bed as the cart jostled along. They had decided to leave her be, since this was the first day she had actually slept deeply without clear indication of nightmares. She had finally agreed to the medicine Gibby had prescribed, swallowing her wariness out of desperation for proper sleep. It had been a full day before she had agreed to it, and at that point she was stumbling and tripping over her own feet from exhaustion.   
  
He looked over the caravan silently, the shadows of the day time Stryx swirling above. Mostly Star Struck, since the largest Stryx could cover the length of the caravan the fastest, and his imposing form really helped to reassure some of the more nervous members when he passed over them. They hadn't dealt with an attack in a couple days, and no one was sure if that was a good thing or not. Had they finally driven off the angels, or were they preparing for a larger attack?  
  
At the very least they were making good time, nearing the Redwoods at a steady pace. They had collected a number of toons along the way, or at the very least had sent some groups who had chosen to try and make it on their own in the right direction. In particular, that strange owl Saturnine, who had shown up on the farm so abruptly what now felt like years ago but was mere weeks, was _unnaturally_ talented at finding and bringing in new faces to join the caravan.   
  
A soft whoosh broke his reverie, the devil looking up to see the cream owl he had though of had appeared, landing in the cart with them. Think of the devil, huh? Even though she was meant to be sleeping during this time, since it was what schedule she was set to, but Saturnine was the only one who broke that rule. She seemed fine either way. There was something... Bizarre about Saturnine, but Pippen trusted the owl implicitly. Even though she admitted she was technically a wild Stryx, or 'semi tamed' as Pippen put it, who had chosen to live on the ranch.  
  
"I take it the medicine is helping?" Saturnine murmured softly as she looked to Pippen, who was still out cold.   
  
"Yeah." Henry answered. "We didn't move her because we didn't want to wake her up since she's sleeping so well.."  
  
"I understand." Saturnine hummed softly, settling down on the cart with them. "It's good to see her finally sleeping. I wish there was something we could do to remove the curse but.. I fear it is beyond me."  
  
"What can you do?" Bendy asked, quickly continuing as he realized how such a phrase could have come off. "I mean, I've heard a lot, and we've seen some strange stuff, but not even Pippen can tell us everything about you."  
  
"I'm not surprised. Not many _know_ that much about me." Saturnine mused calmly. "What you've seen is mostly in line with what I can do. I was gifted command over the icy winds, and am drawn to the lost and abandoned, those who are in the greatest need of help."  
  
"So that's how you keep finding all those toons." Henry murmured.  
  
"Yes. Usually, I would help them find their way to civilization, or home. since in Wyvera, most are simply lost in the wilderness, uncertain which way is home or the nearest town or village. Wyvera is still a land of dense wilds, and even those with Stryx or beast to aid them may become injured or lost. I simply help them find their way back. Sometimes, if the distance is too great or the situation dire enough, I can use magic to send them to where they need to be, but.. I can't do this very often. As with all things, I have my limits." Saturnine explained.  
  
"So you just go around.. Looking for lost people?" Bendy questioned, raising a brow. That sounded awfully boring if he was honest.   
  
"I'm drawn to them, and I help them, yes. But I live my life like any other Stryx. The move to Sunna Ranch has been good to meet, and I have met many new people and Stryx along the way." Saturnine offered simply. "My purpose is simple, but I am happy for it."  
  
"If you say so." Bendy muttered. He hoped Red wouldn't grow up to be so weird. The Harpia chick had reached the point where he had started to learn how to walk and run, though he was asleep now. He had spent most of the day clumsily walking and running alongside the caravan, with Bendy watching over him and encouraging him along. Pippen had been helping where she could, giving advice and just generally being there for them, though it was clear that despite everything and the time she had spent helping, that Bendy was Red's favorite.   
  
"I would never have met Pippen if not for it." Saturnine murmured. "I would still be living, if one could even use that word, in the far northern point I called home. I would still be trapped there by the beast that stole my home if not for her help. How funny it is, for the rescuer to become the rescued."   
  
The pair glanced to her, but she had closed her eyes, possibly to rest now that she was sure Pippen was safe. They'd have to shake Pippen down for the story later, if they remembered to. Stories were great and all, but the current situation left things to tense to wonder on the past. Well, unless you were Cuphead and Mugman, who were always up for a tale. Maybe they already knew Saturnine's story. She had already shown that she had a soft spot for children.  
  
Saturnine abruptly opened her eyes, looking up towards the sky, and the slowly falling sun. "We will need to find shelter soon. Night will fall, and I fear what peace we know may end soon."  
  
"W-What do you mean?" Henry asked hesitantly.   
  
"Her nightmares grow worse for a reason, Henry. Malice will inevitably attack the Caravan. Despite our best attempts, it is still a vulnerable target, and it flies in the face of the Angelic Council's desires. We have more elderly and children among us than fighting aged men and woman at this point. It makes sense, since most seek to hold their homes in defiance, while their young and elderly are moved somewhere safer, but it doesn't change how inviting a target we are." Saturnine intoned. "I can not tell you what the future holds, but I promise you we will all fight to our last breath to protect the caravan."   
  
"I don't think Pippen would be very happy if you died.." Bendy muttered.  
  
"Perhaps. But it wouldn't be the first time such a matter happened." Saturnine murmured softly. "It is in the gods' hands where things will fall."   
  
"I hope your gods are being merciful than." Bendy mumbled.   
  
"If it is in the best interest of things, it will be so." Saturnine hummed calmly.   
  
  
=======  
  
  
"Aesir, come'ere." Fredrick called, bouncing eagerly. They were in the outer gardens during a rare moment of peace. Lately all of the 'recovered' angels had been under heavy training, preparing them to battle evil as roving bands of criminals began to form to sew chaos throughout Tunis. At least.. Most of them. Aesir had only received minimal training so far. He could only fly thanks to Fredrick's secret lessons.  
  
They told him that his condition was more sensitive than the other recovered, something he could believe due to the attacks he had experienced when he first held one of the practice blade. He had seen images of his hands, five fingers not four, a tall demon with a crown of horns, the most prominent a pair of vaguely 's' shaped ones near the top, smiling down at him. The feeling of warmth and trust towards a _demon_ , as he taught him the various ins and outs to sword play.   
  
It had felt like he was on the edge of something big, like a dam was about to snap and drown him in.. In.. He wasn't sure. But it had felt like he was on the edge of something, and like his mind was going to snap under the pressure. And then it had stopped, and Angelo was holding him, calling him back to the present. They told him that if he had seen anything, which for some reason he didn't admit to, that he had been hallucinating, and that it was an after effect of the recovery process. It was a symptom of the chaos he had been saved from.   
  
Fredrick had always believed they were something more however. He had said so since day one. And Aesir.. Couldn't help but agree. There was something about those visions that had felt far to real, too powerful to be a mere hallucination. He just knew. Hallucinations didn't fell like they were the key to realizing more that had been obscured. He had confided as much into Fredrick, and the taller angel had agreed, and encouraged him to hold onto the memories, as that was what he called them. Memories.  
  
How could he rememb-  
  
"Aesir!" Fredrick hissed again, now half hidden behind a bush. He was gesturing furiously for him to come, and Aesir finally snapped out of his reverie, dutifully following the taller angel. The other checked to make sure no one was watching, before leading him deeper into the garden. There were sections that had grown more unruly and untamed as more and more angels were pulled from their jobs to fight. Not many of them were happy with being pulled form their more peaceful jobs, but it was being asked of them by the higher angels.  
  
"So I have a surprise for you." Fredrick murmured. "But you need to be quiet."   
  
"Is this a good surprise, or hot sauce in the food surprise?" Aesir asked hesitantly.   
  
"A good surprise!" Fredrick laughed, guiding him to the most overgrown area of the garden a section where the barrier that enclosed the Angelic building to 'protect it' had been quietly broken without any of the higher ups noticing. "Oh, but I was supposed to give you this first. They said it might help?"  
  
He suddenly handed a bouquet of flowers to the shorter angel, muttering 'don't misunderstand this' under his breath. It was a very specific bouquet, an Iris, a Gladiolus, a Violet, a Lotus Flower, A rhododendron, a Zinnia, a red columbine and a purple one, and finally White Clover. They were tied specifically so they would presented in that order, as if there was a meaning behind it but..  
  
_'There's an entire language to flowers..'_ His voice echoed through his mind, though he couldn't remember saying as much.  
 _  
'Iris stand for a message... Gladiolus are used to symbolize remberance... People give Gerniums as a sign of true friendship... Lotus Flowers have a lot of meanings... But the most common one you see in Wyvera is rebirth.. Rhododendron... danger.. Zinnia... absent friend.. Red columbine means anxiety, while purple means resolutions... White Clover means 'think of me' or 'remember me'._ His own voice slowly translated the message for him, the same meanings he had once taught a friend as they traveled. A message asking that he remember a true friend. That there had been a rebirth, and the messenger was anxious but resolute. A plea to be remembered.   
  
"I-" Aesir stumbled a bit, Fredrick catching him as he suffered an 'attack'. He knew what it was really though, it was their wiped minds suddenly putting the damaged memories back together, clearing the fog and trying to process the conflicting information. The conflict of realities, of what they remembered vs what they were told. He really hadn't expected flowers to trigger an attack, but he remembered one of his contacts outside the angels who knew Aesir before he was converted, he had been some kind of healer who worked with plants and the like.   
  
"It's OK. It's OK. I've got you. Listen man. This place isn't good. It's really not. We need to get you out." Fredrick whispered quickly. "You need to leave, and I have someone whose going to help us. Someone you know."  
  
"Someone I kno-" Aesir began in confusion as Fredrick walked forward, the pair curving around a thick bush. A tall, slightly curvy angel with deep, dark hair, and small horns stood on the other side, one with no wings and who he had never seen on the property but felt so familiar. He dropped to a knee, Fredrick holding him the best he could, the smaller angel clutching his head as a splitting pain tore through it. He could feel something trying to come back, to return to the forefront, but at the same time something was holding it back, a sense someone else was purposely holding it back.   
  
"---!?!" A voice hissed something he couldn't, Aesir managing to look up, noticing figures in hoods, though his vision was swimming now. "We need to get him off the premises if we want to break their hold-"  
  
"If we take him to one of the safe houses we damn everyone in our protection!" Another hissed. "The boy is being tracked by the high council! Can't you feel it-"  
  
"No, it's just Angelo. We can break it. He's just one toon. We can't leave a human in his hands. If we fail this part, the other groups part will be for naught!" A third snapped, voice firm and strong.   
  
Aesir curled up in a tight ball as they argued, pain pulsing through his head. He could feel something tugging at his mind, _hear_ Angelo calling him back even though he wasn't physically there, warning him they were going to _hurt_ him, they were going to maim him. Images of torn wings, blood, broken limbs, and so much more flickered through his mind, only stoking the confusion and terror beginning to overwhelm him.   
  
"Perci?" This voice was female, a soft hand touching his head. He looked up to the familiar voice, trembling a bit at the name. It wasn't his name but it _was_ , and it echoed through his head from a dozen voices, tones, and times. It was his, no matter what Angelo was trying to tell him, he couldn't cover it up anymore. He stopped holding onto Angelo's influence, something he hadn't even realized he had been clinging to in his fear and confusion.   
  
"A-.. Alice?" He asked, wobbling a bit. It felt right, and yet he _shouldn't_ know her name. Shouldn't he? She smiled, a smile of joy with pain at the edges as tears glittered in her eyes.  
  
"Yes. Yes, it's me. It's Alice. I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you sooner.." She hugged him, her body warm and soft against his fear rigid body. He slowly relaxed, unaware of the muttering of the magi around him as they worked furiously to break the ties he could be tracked with. Not all of his memories were back, and it would take time, but seeing him remember her name gave Alice more hope than she had felt in weeks. Once he was reintroduced to Lumi, than surely he would remember everything. That is assuming the second prong of their attack succeeded in freeing the bird.. And she didn't flee.  
  
Slowly, she helped Perci stand, though he kept wavering between his real name and the fake name they had given him. It was another thing she had been warned about, and accepted. The mind was a finicky, slightly unpredictable thing, and the process of healing could be difficult and rocky. But he was starting. He was completely beyond trusting Angelo now. He leaned into her, a soft wing wrapping around her unconsciously, partially to seek comfort and physical support. So soft and delicate, but powerful enough to take him to the air if need be. He used to be taller than her, but now he was shorter, maybe at three and three quarters of a foot in height.   
  
"I can't... Remember.." His voice was tinted with shame as he whispered softly to Alice, the pair beginning to walk away. She was slowly helping him pick up the pace, grateful for the agents inside of the building who had set up several 'accidents' to distract the higher ups. Pipes had burst, food was burning, toilets were backed up and overflowing.. It was utter chaos inside, though you couldn't tell from the outside. But that didn't mean they had that much time.   
  
"It's OK. You'll remember with time." Alice murmured, petting his head. Her kindness and warmth felt real, not the dull patronizing he would get from Angelo. It felt familiar, though he hadn't broken in front of her that often during their travels. Maybe only once. "They've done a terrible thing to you and everyone else in there, but you'll heal once you're away."  
  
"OK." He murmured, leaning into her. He could have sworn he was taller. His body felt like his own, and yet not his own. It was.. confusing to say the least. They were rapidly picking up the pace, the magic users leading them down shadowed alleys and eventually into the sewers itself. He turned his noise up to the smell, but didn't balk. Alice was leading him there, and deep down he knew he trusted her, and for better reasons than he had blindly followed Angelo.   
  
"We're going to reintroduce you to a friend soon too, if things go right." Alice promised. "And then we're going to leave the city.."  
  
  
=======  
  
The guards placed at the tunnel between Tunis and Wyvera weren't prepared for the sheer number of _birds_ that abruptly appeared from the tunnel early in the morning, the rumble of their talons on the ground the only warning. Sure, a small one had come through the day prior, shat on one of them and flew off squawking like it was laughing at them, but it hadn't seemed to be a warning of what was coming. They had been slightly more on guard, but they couldn't have prepared for this.  
  
It wasn't even just birds, but bats as well, ones that were completely bats and others who were more wolf like in appearance. Some had wings with which they could fly, while others had strong legs, their wings meant for gliding at the most. Browns, reds, golds, whites, indigo, yellows, sand hues, blacks, blues, and greens, they come through with a wide range of colors, feather and fur types, and tail types, but they all had similarities between them that denoted them as being in the same species, if not the same subspecies.   
  
The small group, about a dozen angels, were overwhelmed in seconds, only managing to injure one or two of the group. Members of the group, mostly the 'runners' were tasked with removing the angels, taking them back through the tunnels as prisoners of war for the rider species to deal with. They had their mission, and that was to stop the spread of the void creatures, and their terrible master, in it's tracks before it could reach Wyvera.   
  
_"Flight of the Sun!"_ Gavan called, the white hawk taking to the air, turning to the birds flooding out of the tunnel. _"We have little time to spare! Remember what we spoke of before we came through. We fly for the north!"_  
  
He turned, a portion of the Stryx taking off with him, primarily those who were fast and agile, ready to traverse conquered territory to reach such an important point. Hopefully, the gods willing, they were not too late. They streamed behind the pure white hawk in a rainbow of coats and types, flying with more order than one would expect of such a massive flock, a blend of wild, tamed, and those somewhere in between.   
  
_"Flight of the Eclipse!"_ Cecil called in turn. _"We fly to the North East! Runner divisions, remember your duties! Help as many refugees as you can, and spread the news that the path between the countries is open once more. Defenders, stand strong! Hope, and the ultimate safety of both flocks, lie on your shoulders!"_  
  
He took off, the sound of hundreds of wings filling his ears as he angled to the north east. While he was technically in the lead, it was Cassia who guided him, the velvet Tyto lending her eyes and loyally following him between worlds. They both knew it was highly likely they would confront Malice, as he was the one who had survived the 'Gryph's' wrath, but she flew with him none the less, ready to face death itself if it meant helping to protect him.   
  
The air was thick with the beat of wings, and the thud of talons as the flights, and the various runner divisions, set to work, determined to reach their goals and upend whatever plot the void loyalist had in place. They did it for home, for their nest, their kin, and for their gods, who would undoubtedly hold true to them in this endeavor.   
  
=======   
  
_"Hands off the merchandise, jerk!"_ Phoebe snapped, hissing in annoyance as the hand on her tail tightened. The leprechaun holding her tail was rapidly wearing on her nerves, especially in conjunction with the idiot Corva that followed him. A Corva, in Tunis. There was only one Corva in Tunis, a black, silver, and white bird, which Redfall had spoken of, and had made himself and his companions the enemies of every bird and worker on the ranch. _"Either head for the ocean, or to the west if you want to stay in Tunis. That's what I was told to tell the people I came across. Or.."_  
  
"Or?" Charley pressed after Edgar translated for the bird.   
  
_"Or head south. Moonli Ranch will happily take you in, as they will all toons who seek refuge with them._ " She stated, smiling a bit. " _In fact, it's the closest option, especially for someone like that fat sailor-"_  
  
Once that was translated, Barley raised his fist, growling at the smart mouthed bird. Charley on the other hand wasn't rising to her goading. He demanded more information, suspicion thick in his tone. "And why are they doing that?"  
  
_"Because there's a **war** , duh."_ She rolled a glowing eye. _"And they're one of the nearest locations to Tunis. It helps keep things in order. You know how refuges are, so **disorganized** and haphazard, and always carrying all of their **valuables** , but no food. With them openly taking toons in, it will help prevent chaos in the villages and towns of the valley." _She bit back a smile as she saw the idea she had planted take root in Charley's head, greed glowing in his eyes.   
  
_"The worst is the Sunna Ranch. Their defenses are sooo terrible, and those **expensive** eggs get ransomed all the time. That's why Moonli is taking in refugees. The mountain to your left when you go through the tunnel will be Moonli. The other is Sunna. Sunna won't be much help to you at all, in all honesty. They're pretty bad off when it comes to defenses and the like, so if the war does roll up onto the border, it will be a bad place to be."_ She chirped in a confident tone.  
  
"Oh, we'll definitely avoid Sunna, then." Charley stated, dropping the Tetroa. She barely twisted in time not to land on her head, glaring at him and bristling, but biting back her temper. "Thanks for the tip, bird."  
  
_"My pleasure, good sir."_ She purred, taking off. She held back her laugh until she was out of earshot, a cruel laugh escaping her. " _My pleasure indeed, you big idiot! Oh what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall when you realize what you're willingly walking into."_   
  
That fortunate, or unfortunate depending on your point of view, encounter behind her, Phoebe kept flying, already half way into Tunis as it was. She was approaching things with a wild scatter shot, catching the attention of every beast type toon she could and bringing them up to speed. She had heard something about a caravan, but hadn't really gotten concrete enough information to track it down, and wasn't really going to bother. They were already decided on where they were going, and her task was to help those who were undecided.  
  
That and reach The Redwoods. Cecil hadn't though of it, but she had learned that the elves would possibly shoot down the Stryx if they didn't know their purpose for being there. If they showed up in the numbers they were expecting to have, then it could get hairy. Which was where she came in. She just had to keep ahead of the rest of them, and not get distracted by anymore idiot criminals.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its birdmageddon


	30. Before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64

  
  
Lumi was not the absolute smartest Harpia to ever fly the skies of Wyvera, but she wasn't the dumbest either. The scientist who watched over her in her pen seemed to think she was some sort of bumbling idiot, though they kept a tight eye on her pen locks. Despite this, they treated her like a mindless beast that would tear off their heads at any moment and dare not approach her. They used little machines or extendable metal arms to try and collect blood or feather samples from her, which she had rapidly grown to hate give how painful the removal process was.  
  
So when a scientist actually dared to get close to her cage, she did act a bit like they had initially expected, shifting to a threatening stance, her eyes exhausted and angry. The rabbit held up it's hands, the black rabbit's short ears twitching nervously. He knew he was the type of beast the bird would view as prey, though they would usually hunt the feral varieties.  
  
"H-Hold on their b-b-big girl!" The rabbit quickly stuttered. Lumi wasn't impressed, only stalling as he continued. "Lumi! That's your name right, Lumi? Y-You're rider is Percival Clarke!"  
  
Lumi cocked her head at him now, eyeing him with interested blue eyes. He was the first one to use her name, or mention Perci, and that fact curved her bad mood for the moment. He smiled nervously, and quickly continued.  
  
"W-We're going to b-break you out, OK? I-I just need you to behave, and you'll get to see Perci again, OK?" He started walking towards the cage door, a key glinting in his hands. Lumi nodded, the motion making the rabbit stop, until he realized what it was. She had _nodded_ in agreement. He knew she was intelligent, but not this intelligent.  
  
He nervously opened the cage, ignoring the alarm it set off, Lumi storming out and picking him up. In moments he was on her back, shaking with terror and then relief as he realized what she was doing. He quickly began to direct her out, the doors unlocked and left wide open for various excuses, giving the bird a clear exit. That was the easy part. The hard part was getting away from Castle City, and the angels that would undoubtedly pursue them.  
  
Lumi didn't even need to be warned, taking to the air and heading for the distant forest immediately, the rabbit clutching onto her in fear. Alarms were beginning to blare behind them, angels taking to the sky to try and pursue them. Lumi wasn't going to be caught a second time, slamming her tail into any that neared her, making the unorganized force hesitant, the bird flashing her talons and sharp beak at them to deter them further.  
  
She was already over the edge of the town, diving into the thick trees, darting through the thin gaps with a degree of skill the angels couldn't emulate. The rabbit was shouting at her to head east, towards a cave where they would get help and be safe, and Lumi was doing her best to obey without giving away their intent. She dropped from the sky, running through the woods instead as it grew to dense for her to safely fly, moving skillfully through the underbrush.  
  
Their angelic pursuers couldn't keep up between her maneuvering, and the speed she could move on both land and air, the gap in flight skill very clear, and intensely embarrassing. The few who could keep up gave up the chase, not wanting to take on the massive beast alone, having seen how easily she had disabled their fellows, letting the beast disappear into the woods.  
  
  
=======  
  
Life in the caravan was certainly interesting, at least from a young perspective. For the children, it was like an adventure, so long as they did not dwell to long on the reasons _why_ they were undertaking such an unusual activity. So long at they put the Angelic Council and their wicked ways out of mind, they could loose themselves in the excitement of the moment. There were so many moving parts, different kinds of toons, and things to see in the constantly growing caravan.  
  
And the Dracostryx! Such strange and fascinating birds. They were like breeds they were familiar with, barn owls, crows, hawks, and vultures, but so much _larger_ , grander, with wide color ranges and feathers unlike any they had ever seen. The most popular of the group of birds was Saturnine, the 'moth' owl as some called her. She was particular sweet on the kids, and would share stories with them when they behaved, and her duties permitted.  
  
So many wondrous stories, of a land known as Wyvera, of brave heroes of all types, be they human, anthro, toon, or otherwise, and of Stryx of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Heroic acts both big and small, and acts one would not think of as heroic on the surface without thinking about it. She told them of Grebo the gentle giant responsible for so many early alchemiac and medicinal breakthroughs, of Ivor the human and his trusted raptor Invincible and the terrible sacrifice they paid to render the Mourning Mountain safe once more. She told them the tale of defiant determination and faith that was the story of the small, loyal Chiro Shikoba, the creaking, elderly warrior Lycan Murdo, and the hobbled human known as Arnaq. These stories, and so many more she freely shared with them, the children turning to her when the adults called for them to settle down in the early morning, or when the caravan was coming to a halt.  
  
Even Cuphead and Mugman could appreciate the stories, despite their own heroic tale. Saturnine had carefully pried it from them, taking both of their accounts into mind as well as Glory's to suss out the best way to share the tale in the future. It was simply one of the things she did as well as helping those who were lost or abandoned. She remembered them, and the many stories she came across, for so long as you were remembered, you never truly died. At least, a long lost friend had once told her that.  
  
Cuphead was at the head of most of the bigger pushes on the part of the kids to participate in helping the adults. Some of them were old enough, and brave enough, to fight back when the angels came knocking, and some, like Cuphead and Mugman, had already been tested by the world and come out on top. The adults were a mixed bag of reluctance and hesitant enthusiasm, most wanting to protect the children, but some recognizing that they needed to be able to at least defend themselves .. If not more.  
  
Mugman was more quiet in his approach, learning what he could from newcomers and gathering information, passing it on to Henry, Norman, or Pippen when he could. It could be anything from what the new additions were capable of contributing to the group, to rumors streaming throughout Tunis. His help was more subtle, but greatly appreciated, a form of help no one could really find a way to discourage. They couldn't _make_ him stop hearing things, and it was ultimately better that he share what he heard to make sure the 'heads' of the group were up to date.  
  
Today, there was something to draw both boys to a new group who arrived near the end of the caravan. Most of the adults didn't like it when their children ranged to far from 'their' part of the caravan, but accepted it as a part of life, and most of the other adults, those with or without children, kept an eye on all of them to some degree or another. It meant they could run freely, especially Cuphead and Mugman. The group who Elder Kettle had sent them away with tried their hardest to keep an eye on them between themselves, but the pair knew how to evade adults when they wanted to go and see something. And what they heard through the grapevine had them running.  
  
The group who had arrived had _Dracostryx_ with them. A tan Corva with black bars on it's feathers and blue throat, and an irritable Tyto with green feathers, golden tipped wings and tails, as well a white feathers on their head and tail. The group was primarily toons, but two were the most interesting, the quasi 'leaders' of their group, which told of escaping dozens of encounters with the angelic forces even before the Caravan began.  
  
One was a _human_ , an honest to goodness human, with strange eyes and blue hair, and something that called itself an 'Impim'. The 'Impim' had tiger coloration and markings, as well as cream on it's hands, stomach, and the fur puff at the end of it's tail. The Impim was shockingly more unpredictable and almost dangerous compared to the calm, quiet human that reigned her in at every turn.  
  
The news was interesting enough, but the descriptions fit something Glory had told them once, of a 'crazy racer' and an 'eerie human with strange eyes' that had turned up near the mountains and subsequently taken in. The first didn't feel like someone that would be sent to help, from what they had been told, though the second did.. But.. All the talk spoke of weeks of evading the Angelic Council, more weeks than the caravan had been active. Longer than the span of time between Saturnine unsealing the path between Tunis and Wyvera, and Redfall being sent with Pippen's warning.  
  
Turns out, the rumors weren't going one way. As the cup boys ran down the caravan to meet the newcomers, the encountered the Impim running up the caravan, bouncing between vehicles and carts, searching for something. She wouldn't answer anyone, simply grunting 'no' or 'not here' before bonding to the next location.  
  
"Oi, hold up!" Cuphead called, turning and running after her, Mugman pausing before following him. She seemed to be heading for the front end of the caravan, where the majority of the earliest additions to the caravan resided. She was making quite a ruckus as she did, recklessly darting in the path of vehicles and pack animals, which was still dangerous despite the low speed they were moving at. Snickering, the tiger stripe Impim was making her way forward, seeking something.  
  
Keeping up with the fleet footed being was hard, even for the cup boys who had spent all their life running around in a forest and playing like any normal child. More than a couple times she vanished from sight, but it was easy to find her again. All you had to do was follow the trail of shouting and disgruntled confusion as she continued her search, careless to the effect she was having on everyone else.  
  
"AHA!" The Impim shouted as she reached the cart Pippen primarily stayed in, since it was one of the ones set aside for her Stryx to rest in. As they caught up, they came upon quite a scene, with the Impim holding Pippen up like a sacrifice to the sky, bouncing from talon to talon. "What has happen to Pippen? They are so small now! Such little horned one!"  
  
Pippen had been asleep when Heart had found her, before dragging her out of the dreamless sleep that her medication had helped her achieve. She was rapidly waking up however as the Impim bounced around, laughing as Pippen struggled and started to shout in drowsy confusion. Henry and Bendy were already on the scene in seconds, before Pippen had even fully woken up, and Bendy was yelling at the Impim to put the imp down, but getting nowhere.  
  
"Tiny Pippen, tiny tiny! So small now? Why so small? Heart come through to the legend land and stay normal! Strange shadow horns always doing strange things!" Heart chuckled, tail flicking around as she laughed, jumping higher up onto a stack of supplies set aside for the Stryx so she was out of the Stein's reach. She was cackling between her words, laughing as Pippen shouted at her.  
  
"He-Heart?! What the hell- How- Why- Put me down!" Pippen sputtered, struggling against the Impim's paws, which easily held onto her despite the fact she was slowly ramping up her body temperature, threatening to burn the Impim. Again. "Why are you here?! Surely Gru didn't send you of all people!"  
  
"Send?" Heart paused at the mention of the other Ranch head, who she preferred, cocking her head, the faux ears of her fur hood moving with her. "Heart was no sent. Heart came after you! Heart was first Impim in the land of legends!" She started bouncing again, cackling in joy at her defiance.  
  
"Wha- I TOLD YOU NO!" Pippen shouted, the air shimmering around her with heat. The Impim was finally forced to let her go, dodging a punch from the furious imp with a giggle. "I told you to _wait_ you psycho! What part of delicate situation did you not understand?! How did you even get past the barrier-"  
  
"That.. Would be my fault." The caravan had started to quiet, as much as a caravan could that is,once the mischief began, and when Pippen began to yell, but now all speech had stopped. A full blown human was standing in their midst, his strange eyes, ears, and tail doing little to reassure those around him. And yet.. He seemed so.. Common. Like a Mannish toon, but with smaller eyes. Eyes that, despite their strangeness, were calmer than Hearth's gleeful eyes, and showed no hostility. Two figures stood behind him, a tall mannish toon and a tall wolf who looked shockingly similar to Boris.  
  
"Luke?!" Pippen half shouted, catching herself and trying to bring her voice down. Heart had already made a scene, but there was no point in feeding into it. But the betrayal in her tone was clear. He was the last person she would have thought would disobey a direct order.  
  
"I wanted to make sure you came through safely." Luke stated simply, not hiding his motives. "And to keep track of Heart. She put a 'tracker seed' on Glory before you left. Either way I choose to act she was going to come. Though she promised she jut wanted to come through and be the first Impim here, not joy ride across the country."  
  
"I guess this explains the earlier rumors we've been hearing about other Stryx.." Henry muttered.  
  
"It does." Pippen deadpanned. "I wanted to believe it was a _fluke_ , but the descriptions match Icarus and Little Bird perfectly. I just didn't want to believe my star student and a senior ranch hand would _betray my trust."_  
  
"Heart promised nothing." Heart stated proudly, unperturbed by Pippen's upset. She upset the imp on a regular basis, and today was hardly any different. "Heart wanted to be first. Heart is."  
  
"I told you I would bring you through when it was safe-" Pippen began, embers flickering around her hands.  
  
"Heart would not be first than!" Heart whined. "Someone else would be first! Heart must be first!"  
  
"What does it matter, we don't even have a way to _prove_ you are the first Impim in Tunis!" Pippen hissed back, pulling on her horns at the childish behavior. She turned on Luke, abandoning the hopeless discussion that was speaking to Heart. "I can believe Heart would pull this, but you. I had more faith in you Luke. I can't believe you did this."  
  
"I understand you're upset, but you were not approaching the situation with enough care. For all we know you could have been attacked the moment you came through, and we wouldn't have known since you didn't bring anyone with you-" Luke began, his reasoning logical.  
  
"Don't-" Pippen snapped, irritated as she was corned by his logical approach. "That doesn't excuse bringing Heart into such a potentially dangerous situation-"  
  
"Heart was an.. Unfortunate side detail that refused to cooperate." Luke answered. "We both know how unpredictable and impulsive she is. I couldn't contain her without a fight, and none of us are certain which would win, my magic or Heart's brute force-"  
  
"Heart would win." Heart chirped.  
  
"And that unpredictability made it an easier option to simply give her what she wanted, and then she her back to Wyvera with me once we made sure there was no sign of a struggle around the exit of the cave." Luke finished, ignoring the Impim's statement.  
  
"Luke, I hate you and your logic, and you're not getting off for this easy. I don't know _what_ your punishment will be, but you disobeyed a direct order from your superior, and whenever I have the chance I will discuss it with Gru and work out what will be your 'reward' for that." Pippen stiffly stated, feeling awkward she had to pull her 'boss' position here, in front of people who hadn't seen her on the ranch or the business she ran. They had only seen her as an equal, or perhaps someone slightly below her.  
  
"I understand." Luke stated calmly. "But, if I may interject, I am glad you are alive."  
  
"..The feeling is mutual." Pippen mumbled, flushing a bit as he undermined her stiff, boss persona. "But that isn't getting you off the hook. I'm sure Gru will be able to weigh out your misconduct verses what good you may have managed to do here with _that_ nuisance tying you down and work things out from there." Honestly, Pippen hated coming up with punishments for abstract matters like this, and Gru would be far better at it. She turned on Heart. "And you. **Behave**. And don't you dare start blaming me for your actions, because I'll send anyone you send my way back to you with permission to pluck every fur from your hide."  
  
" _Pllllbt_." Heart blew a raspberry, her grin diminished a bit. The caravan looked like a place for great fun, but Pippen had slapped a leash on her before she could do anything. She'd find a way around it eventually.  
  
"As such, both Little Bird and Icarus are being commandeered, as per the ranch contracts you both signed, in line with the emergency clause." Pippen began, Heart whining.  
  
"But my Little Bird!" Heart whined.  
  
"Is more than capable of keeping watch and fighting." Pippen dead panned. "And besides, she'll probably be happier once she is set back onto a Nocturnal cycle." She glanced to Luke, who simply nodded.  
  
"Point us to where you need us, and we will go." Luke stated, referring to both himself and Icarus. Having the ice breather on board certainly made things a bit more interesting, and the pair were stable and dependable. Despite her disappointment in him for entering Tunis against orders, it didn't change his track record in situations like these. "We have tack on both Little Bird and Icarus, modified for double riding, but they could be rearranged into protective gear with a bit of work."  
  
"Double riding?" Pippen questioned. The group was trailing after the cart, which was moving, as was the entire caravan, though at a pace they could manage. She had scarcely realized the pair were with Luke, since a number of toons were crowding around to see the closest sample of a 'pure' human available.. If Luke even was completely human. None of them, not even Luke, were really sure, and Luke honestly never cared enough to check.  
  
"Yes." Luke answered, stepping aside to let the two toons behind him step forward. "Initially, we made contact with two toons after Heart decided to run all over the country. We made friends with them, and helped them escape when the Angels began to crack down on the villages for.. Various reasons." He paused, his eyes giving away to Pippen he was holding something back. Something serious if he was holding it back on his own.  
  
"It's true." The tall female spoke. "If it weren't for him, we would have been taken away by the Angelic Council, and .. Who knows what they would have done.."  
  
"I'm glad they were able to help you." Pippen murmured after a moment. "At least they're doing some good, or _Luke_ is."  
  
"What you mean?" Heart cut in, glaring at her.  
  
"You know what I mean!" Pippen snapped back, bristling. "I've been blamed for enough of _your_ trouble for you to know. Blamed by you of all people!"  
  
Heart snickered, smiling a bit. "But you are boss-"  
  
"Doesn't mean I'm responsible for all the things you pulled." Smith snapped back. She didn't mind mischief. Bendy was mischievous, but he was capable of admitting when he had gone too far and where he had gone wrong. He took the blame for himself, or blamed an _enemy_ for the laugh. Heart, on the other hand, would go to far without a second though, rarely understand how she had gone to far, or refuse to understand, and blame Pippen as a last resort so she could escape the repercussions of her actions.  
  
"Who are these people, Dollface?" Bendy whispered, climbing up onto the side of the wagon to peer suspiciously at Heart.  
  
"They're Luke and Heart. Luke is a student from the ranch, and Heart is.. Heart. She's technically a senior member of the ranch because of how long she's been there, but she doesn't have as much power or sway as the other seniors for obvious reasons. She's one of the racers contracted to Sunna as their base of operations." Pippen quickly explained. "Don't trust heart, not even if you think you can get some fun and games out of it. It will spiral out of control faster than food disappears when you leave it around Boris."  
  
"So they're friends of yours?" Henry questioned.  
  
"Sort of..." Pippen muttered. "Heart lives on the Ranch because she came there and wouldn't leave, and took nearly two years before she would do some actual work. And stop threatening my life. Luke, on the other hand, is a student and I've been told I'm not allowed to play favorites no matter how much Usagi does, but I guess you could say we're on friendly terms. He's a good enough kid, when he isn't ignoring what I tell him."  
  
"I only ignore orders for logical reasons." Luke hummed, walking along side the cart. e was eyeing Henry and Bendy in curiosity, sensing the openness with which Pippen regarded them.  
  
"Mhm." Pippen muttered, tail lashing in disapproval.  
  
"Well I'm Henry Stein, and this is my son Bendy." Henry greeted.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Luke murmured.  
  
"I'm Pippen's boyfriend." Bendy cut in, tail whisking side to side in a slightly territorial display. Luke's eyes widened in surprise as he cocked his head, looking to Pippen for confirmation. She nodded, blushing a bit.  
  
"You found tiny mate to match tiny form!" Heart cackled, both Imp and Demon bristling at her words.  
  
"Enough, Heart, or I'm giving you the worse jobs available on the caravan." Pippen threatened, bristling defensively over _her_ devil.  
  
"Heart no want work." The Impim whined.  
  
"It's either work or we're tying you up and sticking you under a cart." The imp threatened. "I'm not letting you run loose, you already have caused enough of a ruckus as it is."  
  
_"She nearly caused a pile up further back."_ Norman chipped in, the projector headed toon having walked up to report the issue to the front of the caravan. _"We've got it sorted out, but we can't afford something like that again."_  
  
"Luke, you're in charge of keeping track of her. You have my permission to freeze her or tie her up as needed." Pippen sighed, the Impim complaining behind her as Luke nodded. "I need to hear from you and the others in your group so I can sort out watch schedules and camping arrangements for when we come to a stop.."  
  
"I understand." Luke hummed.  
  
"Are you.. Pippen Clark?" The tall female abruptly asked. Pippen paused, glancing to the brown haired toon, her eyes meeting the other's unusually.. Detailed eyes. Almost.. Human eyes.  
  
"Yes. I take it these two have been talking about me?" Pippen hesitantly questioned.  
  
"They've mentioned you, nothing terrible mind you, but they mentioned you. I.. Would be interested in talking to you privately if I could." She murmured.  
  
"Who.. Are you?" Pippen questioned, tail twitching nervously. What in the world had they been telling them that this person wanted to speak to her privately.  
  
"Allison. Allison Connor. This is my husband, Thomas Connor." She turned to the wolf, who gruffly nodded. "It's- It's nothing bad. I just want to ask you a bit of a private question..  
  
"I.. I could arrange some time after I get everything together." Pippen mumbled, shifting nervously back to her duties. She would need to talk to the other heads of the caravan about the newcomers as well to help sort things out, and the intensity with which Allison was watching her was unnerving. She shifted a bit closer to Bendy, the devil sensing her discomfort and moving closer as well, a hand touching her leg. "Anyway, Luke, if you could describe who is with you....-"  
  
  
\------  
  
  
"OK. She just.. She just wants to talk." Pippen murmured, shifting nervously on her perch. The Caravan had stopped for the night, giving her a chance to pick a private area to speak with Allison. Bendy was with her, as moral support and in case something went wrong here, seated next to her on the fallen log she was half perched on, somewhere between a squat and a stand, unable to sit down and be still.  
  
"It's just a talk." Bendy agreed, pulling her back down onto the log to sit down. Seeing her so tense over something so simple made him feel miserable, since it was a sign of how stressed she was overall. She had gone from hiding her half human state to revealing it to him and Henry in a safe location, to guiding an entire caravan of desperate toons in a space of time that had barely allowed her to process anything, and he was starting to wonder if they would ever have another calm moment.  
  
He put a hand over hers, squeezing gently. She laced her fingers with his, sitting down and curling into him, shivering a bit despite the heat radiating from her nervous form. Her head nuzzled carefully against his, Bendy happily returning the gesture as their tails curled around one anothers.  
  
"I'm sorry." Pippen murmured, eyes still closed as she pressed into him. "Here I am getting worked up and complaining to you over nothing and I haven't even asked you how your day was or anything."  
  
"You're just under a lot of stress." Bendy offered, nuzzling her head. "There's nothing to be sorry about."  
  
"Running the ranch was never this stressful, not even during the worst seasons." Pippen mumbled, melting into him as he hugged her. She hugged him back, holding him close, grateful or his patience and his presence. She honestly didn't know if she would be holding herself together under the pressure and inescapable rumors that swirled through the caravan without him and his calm presence. Her tone was tinted with shame as she spoke "I wish I could go home. Back outside Silvi City, where things were simpler.."  
  
"I- I wish we could go home too, Dollface." He murmured, his heart doing a bit of a staccato beat. She called his home hers. She wanted to go back to her ranch, but she had specifically said she wanted to go back to their home, to the home he and Henry lived in and had opened up to her. "B-But you're doing a good job! A really good job. I don't think we would have gotten this far without you and your birds."  
  
"Yeah.." She murmured, though she didn't sound like she believed it.  
  
"Honestly, Dollface." He murmured, putting a hand under her chin and tilting her head up. "I mean it. You need to stop being so hard on yourself. You help a lot more than all these nay-sayers and complainers claim. I don't see any of them doing half the work you and yours are."  
  
"Thanks." She whispered, looking up to him with wet eyes, blinking back tears as she nuzzled her face into his, gently kissing him. He kissed back, fingers tightening in hers, holding both close to himself. He knew he would do whatever he could to help and protect her, even if it meant putting himself in danger. No matter what.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt.." The pair jumped a bit after they parted, though the voice that interrupted them was not the one they expected. Saturnine had entered the small clearing, and was watching with gentle, patient eyes.  
  
"Saturnine-" Pippen flushed a bit at having been caught, still a bit sigh about her acts of affection towards Bendy, though she was slowly loosing her sensitivity to displaying it thanks to him. It was simply hard not to given how affectionate he was, and how much she wanted to return it. Everyone else's stares and thoughts be damned. "It's no bother. Is something wrong?"  
  
"No." Saturnine answered quickly, before Pippen could tense up again. "The caravan is safe, the guard is in place.. But Little Bird has taken my place." Pippen opened her mouth, but Saturnine continued. "I have to go."  
  
"Go?!" Pippen barked, jerking out of Bendy's hold, the Devil having gone slack in surprise. "Wha-what do you mean-"  
  
"It's the will of Galyx, Pippen. The same will that lead me to you and the caravan." Saturnine answered quietly, eyes pained. "As much as it pains me, I have a purpose to play else where, at the end of the caravan's path.. But I must be there sooner than the pace we can maintain can permit."  
  
"W-We could go faster-" Pippen started, the ancient owl shaking her head gently, her warm eyes holding a gentle, understanding look.  
  
"No. The well being of the Caravan will suffer if you move faster, and I must be there soon. I will return as soon as I can but.. I sense that if I do not play this part, than the best possible path that Galyx has revealed to his other agents will be lost." The owl stated gently.  
  
"Sa-Saturnine." Pippen murmured, slipping off the log and walking to the owl. She moved closer, before running up to her, hugging the soft owl, who put a wing over her in return. They embraced for several moments, before the teary eyed imp backed off, head bowed. It had been part of their agreement, when Saturnine joined the ranch, that she would be allowed to follow the commands of the Moth god, her patron god as she had put it. And this was not something the owl would abuse. "I-I understand. P-Please stay safe."  
  
It terrified Pippen to send the owl away, to whatever 'part' it was she had to play. Galyx hadn't prevent the Frost Wyrm that had overtaken the owl's home and frozen her solid, and would possibly not act to prevent her death. Saturnine always argued that Archimedes, one of the Ranch's Corvas who was known for strange, prophetic dreams, informing them of what he had seen was Galyx's influence, but Pippen had always bee on the fence. It was a bit funny honestly, thinking such a massive god of such incredible importance cared for the petty feelings of an imp. And Tunis had become so very unpredictable, with Malice and his mystery partner still loose..  
  
"I will return to you. I promise." Saturnine murmured. She walked to Bendy, gently setting her head atop his and wrapping a wing around him as well, having taking a liking to the 'potential mate' Pippen had picked out. He was a good contrast to her, but they knew how to communicate and overcome their differences where they did collide. She was honestly happy for the Imp, who had rescued her from her icy prison a mere year and a half before..  
  
"We'll miss you, Saturnine." Bendy offered. He was honestly still weirded out by the owl, but he had seen proof that she was a good Stryx, and it was clear she and Pippen had a tight relationship as well, though he hadn't had a chance to ask much about it. Maybe if he had more time, and a less stressful situation, he could start to see what it was about the odd owl that Pippen loved so much.  
  
"Take care of her.. And yourself." Saturnine murmured, stepping back after a moment. She nodded, before taking to the sky, headed for The Redwoods, flying hard and fast, an icy wind gusting behind her to help her along.  
  
"Well, that was unexpected.." Bendy offered weakly.  
  
"Yeah." Pippen mumbled, rubbing her tears away and returning to his side. "Saturnine has always been odd but.. I.. Feel very nervous letting her fly Tunis alone. There's too many angel patrols, and she's such an odd owl she's bound to draw attention.."  
  
"She can take care of herself." Bendy assured, having seen the owl fight. She could go from calm and placid to downright terrifying in seconds, and tear apart anything foolish enough to anger her. She had power the other Stryx clearly didn't have, a clear example being the icy wind she commanded. Woe be unto anyone who tried to fight the ancient owl.  
  
"I know. I just worry." Pippen sighed, flushing in embarrassment. "It's.. I guess what I'm best at doing."  
  
"Worrying isn't bad. So long as you balance it out with fun." Bendy hummed, before prodding her side, fingers tickling along her sides. Stifled giggled escaped the ink, who tried to squirm from his hands, only to find him holding her arm to stop her from escaping, the devil grinning wide. She couldn't get her hand past his to return the gesture between her own jerking and wiggling in response to his tickling and the breathless giggles escaping her.  
  
"Stop! No, stop!" She laughed, though he didn't knowing it wasn't a serious stop. It was a playful, silly stop, where she more just wanted a chance to breath and maybe get him back. "You silly devil!"  
  
"That's me, Silly Devil extraordinaire! You'll never meet a better Devil!~" He purred, laughing as he gave her a chance to catch her breath, the imp playfully shoving him.  
  
"Like I want to try and find another Devil." Pippen laughed. "I already know I've found the best."  
  
"Aw, Dollface, you're so good to me." He purred, nuzzling his face into hers. She nuzzled back, the pair exchanging another quick kiss, before parting as the shuffling of grass gave away the approach of someone else.  
  
"Oh- I hope I'm not interrupting anything." This time it was Allison, who eyed Bendy uncertainly before turning to Pippen. "I'm.. Not sure I can ask this in front of him, actually.. It's.. Not that easy a matter.."  
  
"There are no secrets between us." Pippen stated confidently.  
  
"None?" Allison questioned.  
  
"None." Bendy confirmed.  
  
"Not even.. Lineage wise?" She asked hesitantly. She had already heard rumors in camp, but it had been form the children and they were so unpredictable..  
  
"This is about me being half human, isn't it?" Pippen questioned, feeling calm as she spoke. She had already spent weeks being asked about it, and at this point she was knee deep into defiance towards anyone with an issue about it.  
  
"I- I heard in camp, but I wasn't sure it was true-"  
  
"It is. It doesn't make me any different-"  
  
"So you're really another half toon?" Allison cut in, her voice hopeful. That was not what Pippen was expecting, the imp's words stumbling to a stop. "Luke told me you were but- I didn't believe him-"  
  
"You're- You're half toon too!" Pippen gaped, realization setting in. "Your eyes, your features- I thought- I didn't want to say anything because of how sensitive it was when people found out about me-"  
  
"I can't believe I'm really meeting another half toon." Allison murmured in excitement. "I- I know you don't have a lot of time now, but when you do, could you tell me more about Wyvera and the human countries? Dad.. My dad never told me much. He was afraid I would repeat it out loud outside the house and be harmed for what I am..."  
  
"I-I understand." Pippen murmured, nodding. "I'll find time and we can.. Swap stories? I've learned some things about Tunis thanks to Bendy and Henry but.. I.. I would be interested in your perspective."  
  
"That would be great." Allison agreed, flushing a bit herself in relief and nervousness. "I- Sorry, I'm sure this was so weird to be asked to meet me by yourself abruptly but I wasn't sure if your secret was out and I didn't want to get you into trouble."  
  
"Oh no, I understand." Pippen quickly offered, flushing. "It's a.. Uh. Awkward situation we find ourselves in, trying to find other.. Halflings like us."  
  
"Halfling?" Allison echoed.  
  
"It's what some in Wyvera have called me. Those who could sense more than what their eyes alone would show." Pippen offered. "They've always been older, sort of mysterious figures, so I figured it was some sort of official term.."  
  
"It's interesting.." Allison murmured, glancing back to the caravan. "Anyway, I'll let you two go back to what you were doing. I'm supposed to help with the dishes either way, so I better head back into camp." With that she departed, a noticeable degree of pep in her step as she did. It really did make a bit of a difference to know you weren't alone in the world.  
  
"Well, that was nice." Pippen hummed, turning back to Bendy. He nodded, before a mischievous grin crossed his face, the devil tackling her and beginning to tickle again, determined to wipe the anxiety from her face for a little longer. Pippen bit back a shriek of laughter, trying not to alarm the caravan, though she was snickering hard. "Bendy, nooo!"  
  
  
=======   
  
  
Elder Uridove advice was ultimately to return to the High Council, and discuss the method of attack with them. It was clear they were going after Spite, though how they planned to do so was uncertain. There were too many factors she couldn't account for, and that kind of information would be with them.  
  
She was surprisingly nice, but that could have been due to the change in Anatole. The boy was reportedly calmer, and less bothered by his past, now that he knew the full story. He hadn't betrayed someone, or been running from a crime as could be theorized from his scant memories. He had been twisted like a marionette to Malice's commands, and sent running to break the Stryx once known as Gale. He hadn't chosen to leave her. He had been forced.  
  
Lyllen was still missing, though it didn't really surprise anyone. The day of the disappearance, there had been a chance of finding him but.. He had been in the spirit realm with them when they parted. It effected his chances of escape steeply, and though none of them spoke on it, all of them questioned if he had ever left. Their hounds had picked up no sign of his scent, save for the area that the group had walked together, and that was old and faded.  
  
So the plan had been set for them to return to The Redwood High Council.. Only for them to be pinned in the village by a wave of angelic attacks. Pidge had been forced to stay inside the Elder's home to avoid being shot with an arrow in the confusion, and Oliver wasn't _that_ much of a fighter to begin with. It had left them without a guide back to the main city as all hands were called on deck to repel the attack.  
  
It had been poor timing, and left the entire village tense, though none of them turned on Pidge. He had proven whose side he was on, and Anatole's constant presence was a reminder of this. He had taken a massive risk, and stood true through the test of the Spirit Realm. Of all the angels present, Pidge could be trusted.  
  
After several days of being forced to sit and wait, they were finally able to secure a guard to help them return to the city. It was a tense walk, the group pushing to make it in a day rather than the two days it had taken the first time. None of them wanted to be alone in the woods when there were groups of attacking angels forcing their way into the forest. It was a tiring experience, and the elf had them fly while he ran, the group staying close to the ground to avoid being seen as they pushed themselves to their limits.  
  
It was late into the night when they reached the city, the group having set out at early dawn before the sun had even risen. They were all exhausted, but the need to see the Council was palpable between the angel and bird. As they climbed one of the ladders into the city, they were stunned as a creamy owl, a _Tyto_ , flew past them, heading for the council building as well. They were strange, with moth like whiskers and feathers atop their head, pale eyes barely looking to them as they skimmed silently through the trees.  
  
"Who the heck-" Oliver began, but cut himself off as Pidge began to climb faster, struggling to keep up with the longer limbed angel. Something big was developing, and they needed to be there.  
  
Getting into the High Council building was easy, the guards stunned by the abrupt arrival of a strange Tyto unlike any they had ever seen. They had only ever seen Yin and Yang, so the arrival of a new Stryx was unexpected, and the Council was already assembling to see the strange, talking bird. For her part, she stood patiently, watching the guards scrabble about, before turning to Pidge and Oliver as they approached, tan eyes locking with Pidge's grey eyes.  
  
"You must be Pidge." She hummed, the angel stuttering to a stop in confusion. She continued, tilting her head slightly. "I am Saturnine. Pippen told me about you, and when I was summoned here I had a feeling I would see you."  
  
"Wait- Is Pippen here?" Pidge questioned, staring at the strange owl. This was one of _Pippen's_ Stryx, though she had only one with her before Pidge had departed.  
  
"No, she is still with the caravan." Saturnine answered.  
  
"Caravan?!" Pidge sputtered in confusion.  
  
"Yes. That happened after you left, did it not?" Saturnine mused, before filling him in on everything he had missed. The elves who weren't sent to retrieve the elders were listening intently as well, as the Redwoods were near completely cut off from the outside by the angels that constantly harassed them.  
  
"If we have refugees coming.. We will have to prepare to help them through.." A guard muttered.  
  
"The Council must know.." Another agreed.  
  
"They will soon enough." A third stated as he walked out of the building. "You three, into the building. The Council will hear your reports."  
  
"Of course." Saturnine hummed, turning and walking inside, the bloom of lengthy tail feathers trailing her. Pidge and Oliver were close behind, still at odds with the strange owl, though Pidge trusted her simply because she belonged to _Pippen_. She had a strict standard for herself and her birds, and if they were untrustworthy they likely wouldn't be on friendly terms with her.  
  
Inside, the Council noticeably reacted to Saturnine's appearance, the other two Tytos watching her intently. She stepped forward to give her report of everything she knew was happening in Tunis that the Council could not know, particularly the caravan she had spoken of, how she had gotten to this point, and why.  
  
"It is by the will of Galyx I have come ahead of the caravan to play whatever part he has for me here." She finished. "Though I feel it is in line with whatever our friends here have in mind." She turned to Pidge and Oliver, before stepping out of the way, allowing them to come forward and share all they had learned of Spite and Malice. Saturnine listened as intently as the Council, pale eyes watching them silently.  
  
"This is quite an interesting memory you've unearthed." Llywellyn murmured. "One that could fracture Malice and Spite's partnership. If we can do that, we will be looking at a source of secrets about Malice that no one else knows. Secrets that could destroy him.."  
  
"If you can near her.. Maybe sneak in..." Iorwerth murmured.  
  
"I'm afraid that will not work." Saturnine cut in, bowing her head politely in apology to Iorwerth. "They would sense his aura, the lost connection to Diaus all angels carry, and turn on him the moment he approached. The best that can be hoped for is a direct approach, and to force her to face her past."  
  
"Forcing a Gryph to do anything is no simple matter.." Yang murmured, the white owl, glancing to Saturnine.  
  
"I am aware." Saturnine hummed. "Which is why I intend to come with them. Though words or force, she will see the truth. There is also the matter of her void tainted spawn. They will need to be taken care of to allow us near Spite. I can disable them, temporarily, and if we get close enough to Spite we can catch her in the eye's aura and make her view Tristan's memories and from there.. Well, we will need to be ready to move fast to avoid whatever emotional response she may have. A dam like her, after so long in Malice's presence will likely be.."  
  
"Unpredictable?" Yang offered.  
  
"Insane?" Yin huffed.  
  
"A little of both, I fear." Saturnine offered neutrally. "And another Stryx stands a better chance against a Gryph than an angel or cockatoo alone."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Oliver muttered, puffing up a bit.  
  
"It is simply a matter of fact." Saturnine hummed. "I have battled Gryph's before and will recognize the signs of an impending attack and how to counter them. You have not and would not be able to respond as quickly."  
  
"If you are sure you want to go.." Llywellyn cut in, stopping any further argument. "Than we can not stop you, Saturnine. However, you must know that we can not promise you, or either of you toons, that you will come out of this alive, or untainted by the void. The tower of the sun, which Spite has claimed as her nest, is fraught with void energy, and shambling void beasts both of Spite's production and twisted by void energy."  
  
"I understand the risk and accept that this is what Galyx desires me to undertake." Saturnine murmured.  
  
"I understand." Pidge agreed.  
  
"We've come this far, there's no point in quitting now." Oliver muttered, yawning a bit.  
  
"Than we will discuss this further in the morning." Gwyneth declared. "You will not be approaching Spite in this state if you desire to keep your lives, and it is far to late to discuss these plans and expect the memory to stay in tact."  
  
"Agreed." Iorwerth murmured. "And we must begin to prepare for the influx of refugees coming our way, and the sooner we begin, the better for everyone.  
  
Llywellyn nodded in agreement. "Than, for now, the meeting is adjourned. Thank you for your reports, and for your bravery in both the task you faced, and intend to face. The guards will see you to your accommodations.."  
  
The trio nodded and bowed to the elders, quietly leaving the building, the exhaustion catching up to Pidge and Oliver. They both intended to get as much sleep as they could, so they could face Spite as soon as possible. For the sake of the Caravan of refugees, the elves of the wood.. And for Lyllen.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I have the Saturnine's stories mentioned in this chapter written up separately  
> I could share the links if anyones interested in some faux dracostryx lore


	31. The Betrayer and The Betrayed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information hub - https://sta.sh/0280jqd42o64
> 
> =======
> 
> I'm super sorry for the delay, I literally had half of this done days ago and then my computer crashed and ate it and half of the previous chapter for no reason I could work out  
> So I was *kinda* upset for a bit there  
> but im back and plugging away at things

  
The camp was set up in a defensible position, members of the guard standing atop rock walls surrounding the camp to watch over things as members of the caravan began to settle down for the night. Dinner had been made and served, dishes put away, carts and vehicles long since arranged into defensive positions. They were set up to be able to depart easily come morning, but also so that in a scrabble they would be able to use the vehicles and carts to help with defense.   
  
Among the guard were the night Stryx, Sigurd, Glory, and Little Bird. While Little Bird wasn't as well liked as Saturnine, she was an equally capable fighter, even if she did not have the same magic abilities. The children were disappointed by the lose of Saturnine's stories, and Little Bird's persnickety behavior, but or the most part the replacement Tyto behaved herself. Glory kept her in line, and the smaller bird knew better than to try and tangle with him. They had already thrown down more than once, and each time had been an embarrassing failure on her part. She wasn't going to let these Toons see her beaten down and loose their respect.  
  
Bendy sat on the cart with Red and Pippen, the other two fast asleep. Her head was in his lap, the devil resting a hand against it, watching over her medicated sleep as he and Henry had promised her. Red was fast asleep in the nest they had made for him near the front end of the cart, the diurnal Harpia youth seeing no reason to stay up. He wasn't allowed to be on the guard yet, due to his inexperience and haphazard walking ability, and he was tired out from the training he had been given during the afternoon. He liked Pippen, which was a relief to Bendy, but he clearly preferred the devil over all. Pippen put it down to him being the very first thing the chick saw, and the fact he had remained beside him post-hatching.  
  
Pippen's sleep was usually peaceful thanks to the medicine, with only minimal twisting and turning or noise, her night dark and dreamless from what she told him. Tonight was different however, the imp twisting and turning a bit in her sleep, Bendy having to flex to avoid her horns occasionally. Every odd night out or so there would be a rough night, but it felt different. Her face was slowly twisting up with fear as her motions grew more wild, nearly taking her off the cart. He started to try and wake her now, dread starting to eat at his heart as he saw her face.  
  
He narrowly dodged her head as she snapped up, her breathing ragged and alarm. Wild eyes darted side to side, before landing on him as she turned onto her knees, fully awake.   
  
“He's coming.” She rasped, Bendy staring at her blankly for a moment, before it clicked. “He's coming. We need to get ready- He's coming!” She slid off the cart, nearly falling to the ground, the devil managing to catch her at the last second as he snapped out of his surprise.  
  
“Who- Do you mean- _Him?!”_ He questioned, almost automatically, though he knew who she meant. There was only one being who caused her such terror, who could take her from calm to horror in seconds. She was nodding furiously, trying to steady her breathing, Red squawking in tired confusion. She slid from his hands, ordering him to prepare for an attack, the devil's mind a whirl with all the spells and the like she had been trying to teach him. He had only really mastered some basic fire spells on top of some of the very basic ink based spells he and Henry knew. The artist had dabbled with magic in his earlier years, and had taught his son some in turn. It wasn't much help in the way of a fight however..  
  
He watched her run, frozen for a moment, terror echoing through his stomach. The cart was fairly well guarded, having a cover to protect the bird who rested inside, but against a _Griff.._ He wasn't sure it would hold up. The devil shook himself out of his fear, pushing himself forward to start shouting people awake so the camp would wake up and be prepared, even as Pippen ran for the leaders of the group. It was the most he could offer, and he was good when it came to goading people into action.  
  
Luke ran past the cart at one point, a gaggle of toons capable of using magic following him. He was shouting orders, preparing the area around the caravan camp for a massive blessing from the moon goddess to force any void being that followed in his wake. There was no sign of his usual storm, something that had the magi around Luke confused, but he refused to be distracted by whatever new ploy the vulture like bird had in mind. The blessing would weaken the Gryph either way, and weaken his magic once he crossed over the boundaries. The magi were sent running to various points, collecting more of their own along the way and sharing instructions. Hopefully they would be able to get this up and running before the bird arrived.  
  
  
\----------------  
  
  
 _“What the hell are those?!”_ Norman demanded, looking to Pippen, who shook her head. In the distance, she could see the dark form of Malice slowly growing nearer and nearer. It wasn't him who Norman shouted about but the hundreds of small, toon sized beings that flew with him. Strange beings with no proper form, flying through the air in his wake, dark slime like beings that seemed to ooze through the sky after him. Unnatural, wrong beings.  
  
“I've only ever heard of them, but.. Those might be Void Spawn. Raw, undiluted beings of corrupted void energy.” She answered huskily, embers flickering around her hands. Norman was holding a hunting rifle close, his hand checking the bag of refills on his hip to make sure it was secure. Judging from the swarm following him, he was going to need it. “If he can summon those, than he has a deeper connection to the void than we initially realized. That would explain why he hasn't summon his storm yet.”  
  
“Can we _kill_ these 'raw void spawn?' Cause if not, we need to get outta here instead of making a death stand.” Wally quipped beside them, clutching a shotgun. The weapons the front line, and most of the caravan, used was an odd spread, but they didn't have much room to be picky. They at least had weapons, even if it was a strange blend of guns, bows, swords, farmer tools, and blunt objects. Anyone with a ranged weapon was on the front line of defense, and on the walls around the mid section of camp, prepared to protect their fellow toon, their families and friends with everything they had.  
  
“Normally? No. But once Luke and his lot get their work done-” As she spoke, the ground lit up beneath them, taking a vibrant white hue, tinted the slightest bit blue. Sparkles of light slowly floated from the ground, the light spreading into a perfect circle to encompass the ground under them, and the air space within. It extended several yards ahead of them, giving the room to shoot down anything that approached. “We can now. With the blessing of Nokt, of the moon, they're on even ground. Save your ammo for when their over the blessed ground! Anything before that will be wasted!” She raised her voice at the end, the instruction echoing through the defensive line.   
  
The Stryx on their side were all awake and ready, waiting for their foe to approach. They could fight Malice in his current state, but leaving the sky above the camp unguarded would leave them with nothing to return to if they won. They needed to see what moves he would try and take with this hoard that followed him first before taking to the air, as ordered. Their feathers bristled with disgust at the sense of corrupted void energy and the being that willingly flew among this inversion of nature, eyes glittering with murderous intent. Anything that attacked the caravan would sorely regret it.  
  
“Fools!” Malice's voice echoed to them, strong and clear despite the yards between them. His red eyes glittered brightly in the darkness, his long wings letting him glide with ease towards his prey. “You should have fled when you had the chance! Now, all you have to look forward to is an undying enemy, and your own slow, agonizing deaths!”  
  
“Don't listen to him!” Pippen shouted in turn. “He's a coward hiding behind his swarm because he knows he can't stand against us! Aim true and these beast will fall like any other!”  
  
“Oh, little worm, how I've craved to rend you between my claws.” Malice practically sang with twisted glee as he flew closer, not crossing over to the blessed ground. “How I've waited for my chance to return the favor you gifted me so long ago. You'll only lead these fools into torment and suffering to save your own hide.~”  
  
She could feel eyes on her as the projected Gryph's voice echoed around them, the first wave of void spawn flying over the blessed ground towards the caravan. Shots of bullets and arrows rained down onto the beings, taking down the first wave successfully, the group watching them hit the ground and burn away to nothing as they hit the blessed ground. A small cheer went up from the caravan, but it didn't last for long, a fresh wave of Void Spawn flying down, a thicker swarm than the first round, streaming endlessly from the swarm that had followed the twisted Gryph.   
  
“A pitiful excuse for a victory. You slaughtered the weakest among them and think yourself champions? _Pathetic.”_ Malice crawwed above them, circling the edge of the blessed land, testing the boundaries, trying to break it and leave them utterly helpless. The blessing stood firm however, the faith behind it's conjuring have brought the intent focus of the moon goddess with it. He may have been powerful, but not even Malice could defy a god, even if it was something as simple as this blessing.  
  
The front line was overtaken easily, the shriek of Void Spawn's 'wings' as they passed through the air unnatural and chilling. They sought to slaughter the old and young alike, but some they took. They stole away, their form half absorbing their abductees and paralyzing them. Pippen was one such target, the beast that commanded them wanting to personally see to her end. He would have preferred to have been able to do it in front of Cecil, or have them both in his clutches to dispose of at his own pace, but he was not going to let her escape for such a simple matter. No, he wanted her gone, he wanted anything that dare defy him, anything that _survived_ his wrath **erased**.   
  
She dodged the attackers, setting fire to anything that neared her that wasn't a friend. The front line had broken into clumps now, the air thick with the unnatural shriek of the Void beings flight, the very air molecules repulsed by their unnatural presence. Toons were fighting furiously with everything they had, be it guns, weapons, tooth or claw. They fought with every ounce of strength they had, fighting for their lives and the lives of those around them. Those who couldn't fight were hidden in vehicles or under carts, though most of the simple carts had been overturned in the melee. They still provided a hiding place, but the damage would be hard felt if any survived this battle.   
  
“Henry! Norman! Bendy!” Pippen called for the people she knew, the battlefield a blur of blows and unnatural forms. It was utter chaos, and had dissolved into this mess so terrifyingly quickly. She hadn't the slightest idea where her Stryx were, only aware of their shrieks of defiance from all directions, and the approach of those terrible beings when they tried to near her. She was wading through the battle, looking for something, anything to rally around, to turn the tide. Nothing presented itself as she fought on, feeling her magic steadily deplete with each attack.  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
Glory shrieked in defiance, powering through another Void Spawn, his claws slicing through their unnatural forms as his beak tore through another. The camp was in utter chaos, and it seemed like every time they slaughtered one, the Gryph would summon two more Void Spawn to take it's place. They couldn't continue like this, not with this endless barrage. They had been training and preparing the caravan members for battle as much as possible but they were no army. They were civilians, men, woman, and children, and an overwhelming amount of children and elderly, sent away from their homes by the able bodied fighters who remained behind to defy the Angelic Council.   
  
He turned, a moment of clearness in the sky. Somewhere behind him, Star Struck was powering through hoards of the Void Spawn, the young Gryph using his massive frame to slam them out of the sky, sending them spiraling into the ground which was so deadly to their kind. Little Bird and Sigurd were furious blurs exploding between enemies, but a Hawk's stamina could last only so long, and Little Bird was drawing far to much attention at once.   
  
Skoldolfr was somewhere on the ground, fighting to defend a group of pinned youths who had collected beneath him and the cart he stood nearby, his presence the only factor stopping them from being outright slaughtered or abducted. Beowulf was nowhere in sight, but undoubtedly was in the thick of it, trying to help the group collect itself and regain control of the situation. Icarus was guarding the center of the blessed circle, keeping Luke and the other five magi who helped hold it together safe, along with their assigned guards. If the circle fell, they would be lost entirely.   
  
Glory was alone, the Void Spawn below him. He had flown to the same level as Malice, the hateful Gryph lazily drifting along the edge of the battle, watching with glee as the camp was torn apart. Lazy, hateful, cowardly beast! He had no right to claim the name of Dracostryx, taking flight with these unnatural beings and freely commanding them. He had not once stepped foot into the battle, not once had he let even the tip of his wing enter the battlefield.   
  
He would see that changed. With a defiant shriek, he flew upwards, before plunging towards the Gryph, his pale yellow eyes glittering with fury. Everything they had worked so hard to protect, to defend, was just _gone_ thanks to this 'Gryph.' No, thanks to these Void Spawn that he sent to fight for him. Malice hadn't lifted a talon, save to summon them. He was a wretched coward, hiding behind a cloak of power that was not his own, and it was beings like these that Glory hated the most.   
  
The Gryph looked up to him too late, having been absorbed in the battle below, as if he were watching a show. He shrieked in fury as Glory collided with him, the smaller stryx's talons colliding with his face and neck. Long wings beat furiously against the interruption of his glide as Glory clamped down on him, biting at his neck and spine, trying to disable him. The Gryph bucked beneath him, twisting every which way, a sharp beak clamping on his tail in turn.   
  
Glory didn't release him, the pair careening lower and lower, heading for the blessed ground below. The beast's beak was tearing through muscle, but he was cutting through muscle along his back, biting through to his spine the same moment the being clamped down on his tail, giving one final tug. He felt something give, the feeling in his secondary tail suddenly just _gone._ A Stryx could fly without their secondary tail, there were those who were born without a second tail, but to loose one was a shocking experience, as it was for any being to loose any limb.  
  
The black Harpia shrieked, before slamming his head down, his beak slamming through skin and muscle, clamping down on his spine and pulling upward. A terrible shriek tore through his opponent, the ground below so close, the long wings on both side going limp, blood spraying through the air. His blood, the beast's blood, intermingling in glittering drops of ruby and black beneath the moon light, flying upwards in defiance of gravity.   
  
A terrible aura snapped over the Gryph, his wings suddenly snapping wide. The feeling in his talons rapidly faded as the aura chewed at it, tearing away bits and pieces of his flesh out of existence itself. Not converting it into another form of matter, as common with the loss of flesh used as a meal or touched by chemicals, but just _gone_ , a sense that the very atoms that made it up were gone. He released the Gryph, managing to beat his wings away from the terrible beings, his talons and claws still in tact, but sore and raw in places.   
  
Now it was the Gryph who shrieked in defiance, a black aura surrounding him, the only thing visible and prominent through it being his eyes, the vibrant red glowing in hateful defiance. His wings beat in spite of the loss of his spinal connecting, the Void coating allowing him to defy the natural laws of this world. Glory beat a hasty retreat, avoiding fresh blows as well as he could, but his vision was starting to tunnel. He had lost so much blood, and the stump of his tail was still leaking fluid, droplets of ruby showering the ground below. Somehow they had crossed the boundaries once more and were over the unblessed ground, leaving the Gryph utterly invulnerable.   
  
“Pathetic, insolent whelpling!” Malice shrieked, his voice distorted and strange. “Did you really think you could slaughter me like one of you common beasts? I am _MALICE THE UNDYING.”  
  
_ “You've died before, and you will die again.” Glory boomed, baring the fangs deep in his beak in defiance as he spoke. “And you will die again and again as the miserable coward you are, until whatever being that keeps you alive finally grows tired of you and allows the gods to deliver your final judgement.”  
  
“I will never die, wretched hatchling. No god holds sway over me! I am _invincible!”_ He shrieked, aiming to strike him down, talons bared as he dove for the struggling Harpia-  
  
  
\----------  
  
  
“Red, no!” Bendy shouted, reaching in desperation for his friend. The young Harpai had fought his hardest, but he was no match for the endless swarm of Void Spawn. More and more of clumped onto his form, paralyzing him, forcing him still, steadily taking to the air. They were dragging him away, Bendy unable to attack them in fear of striking his friend. The Harpia was shrieking in terror, his defiance gone, his bravery torn away as he watched his father's form shrink beneath them. Every flighted Stryx dreamed of their first flight, but not like this. Not like this.  
  
“Bendy get down!” Pippen's voice shrieked behind him. Heat exploded next to him as the attacking Void Spawn was stopped in it's tracks, Pippen slamming into him seconds later to stop another from grabbing the devil. Bendy was struggling against her, sobbing with guilt, hand reaching for Red, for _his_ Stryx, _his_ friend, but he was already gone. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. No trick, no mischief, no clever play of words would bring him back. They had taken Red from him, and he hadn't stopped them.  
  
Pippen managed to drag him under a cart, the Devil beside himself with guilt and grief, her arms wrapping around him. She was completely out of spells, shuddering with weakness as he wrapped his arms around her. She had failed. She had failed the caravan, she had failed Bendy and Red, she had failed _everyone._  
  
“I'm sorry.” She gasped, tears flowing from her own eyes. She could only imagine the pain of seeing your first Stryx kidnapped, though she could empathize with the terror and horror. She knew how she would have felt in his shoes, had this happened to Cecil. And it was her fault. She was supposed to guide the front line, she was supposed to keep them together, but they had crumpled so quickly. Everything had fallen apart, and they were at the end of the line, Void Spawn shrieking over their heads. “I'm sorry.” It felt so weak and pathetic, so useless, because no amount of guilt would bring the kidnapped Stryx and toons back, or the fallen.   
  
He held her closer, shaking hard, shaking his head. He was telling her it wasn't her fault but it _was_ , she was in charge of keeping things together, she had been in charge of preparing them, and she had _**failed**_ **.** Henry, Norman, Wally, Susie.. Everyone was gone. She couldn't find anyone but him in the chaos, and she clung to him in terror that he may be snatched away too at any moment.   
  
“We tried. We tried everything we could.” He argued, though his own tone was laden with guilt over his personal failure. She had tried so hard to prepare him, but now it felt like he never paid enough attention to her lessons. Maybe if he had known one more spell, or had just the slightest bit more proficiency.. Maybe, maybe. So many maybes, but they'd never know the answer. All they knew was they had each other, and it felt like they were the last two beings alive in a world dissolving into shrieking chaos.  
  
“What-” Pippen's head snapped up. The shrieking of the Void Spawns' flight had never stopped, but the sound had changed. No, it was still going, but now there was something new, something rising to match the sound and defy it. She crawled to the edge of the cart, neither of the demon type toons releasing the other, looking to the sky-  
  
  
\----------  
  
His claws bit deep, but a quick twist of Glory's body stopped him from hitting anything critical. He grunted, opening his maw to shriek in defiance, only for a cacophony of calls to explode above them. It was such a shock that both males stopped, Malice's claws buried in his chest feathers and around one leg, Glory's wings beating at his form to try and knock him off-  
  
A shadow fell over them both, the moon eclipsed by hundreds of moving forms. Forms of all shapes, sizes, and colors dropped from the sky, a simple brown splotched form with unseeing eyes at the forefront, all mouths opened in a defiant shriek. The beast would finally feel the wrath of the _true_ Dracostryx, of the wild and the tamed, and be punished for every soul he had tormented, ever chick he corrupted, every life he ended. They flew together as one to defy the beast which tarnished their name and flew with the Void, here to teach this land what a true Dracostryx stood and fought for.  
  
His aura meant nothing to them, the bravest among them flashing by, slashing him with talons and beaks, never staying long enough for the aura to truly harm them. In moments his prey was no longer in his talons, a sturdy Gryph catching the injured Harpia and diving for the ground, trailed by a sparkling green hawk and a cream coated Corva carrying first aid supplies across both of their backs.   
  
The Flight of the Eclipse struck as one, slashing through the aura and to flesh and bone beneath it, steadily pushing the monster closer and close to the moon blessed ground. Surely to make contact with it would once more put him in the realm of the gods reach, and render the beast unable to return. If not, it would surely harm him terribly, as terribly as such a beast as he deserved. His claws and beak struck out, catching feather and fur, but scarcely doing anything to the onslaught. He was careening towards the ground, some of the bolder Stryx holding him, forcing him downwards-  
  
 **“ENOUGH!”** He bellowed, an explosion of his dark aura momentarily pushing the flock away. Enough so that he could fly away, his battered wings beating furiously, his form exposed once more. His spine had healed, but the fresh wounds they had delivered had not, and droplets of blackish blood scattered through the sky with each beat of his wings. “I will deal with you cowards later! You will rue the day you interfered with my hunt! The void will consume you _ALL!”_  
  
Some of the bolder among them pursued the beast, but he was moving with unnatural swiftness, Void Spawn appearing from the forest to cut off every pursuer. Those who did not pursue him turned to the camp, setting to work cleaning things up, slaughtering the Void Spawn who remained and setting to the miserable work that would be helping the toons pick up the pieces of their decimated Caravan. So much was damaged, destroyed and lost, but the Flight of the Eclipse would not leave them to face this challenge alone.  
  
  
=======  
  
  
It was a strange sensation to be flying but not beating his own wings, Oliver perched in front of him on Saturnine's back. She had insisted the ride on her and save their own strength for what may come, her eyes always so calm even as they flew towards the Tower of the Sun. Once, it had been a place of worship, specifically worship dedicated to Daius, but when Spite invaded she had taken it over, purging what connection the god still had to the land through that tower, and used it as a conduit for the corrupted void energy she and her master operated through.   
  
The tower was at the highest point of the Redwoods, guarded by the tallest trees in the wood, a small clearing between the tower and the trees. The trees had become sentry points for the void tainted spawn, and the tower itself a corrupted nursery for whatever void being Malice reared, be it of her and Malice's meeting, or a twisted being such as the one that had once rampaged across Sunna Mountain in Wyvera. A place of worship inverted into a den of monsters.   
  
As they neared the periphery trees, the void tainted spawn appeared, crippled Gryphs of various ages, their bodies twisted and warped. They seemed an uneven blend of void and beast, their already twisted bodies twitching and and changing slowly under the void influence. These were the most unstable and weakest among the spawn, as those who were not born crippled and unstable were sent on tasks by their parents. The hated weaklings were put to work as guards and battle fodder, wearing down foes who neared with their parents not caring for their own well being. It was a twisted, miserable experience, but it was all they knew, and they would fight.  
  
“Hold on!” Saturnine warned, wings beating harder, an icy chill wrapping around her. She shot forward, the icy breeze stopping those who neared them, freezing some near entirely, dropping them towards the ground. She flew up, aiming for one of the tower windows instead of the entrance, as most of the guards had expected. Shrieking craws and cries scratched the air towards them, but the sound could do nothing. They sought through a window, the icy breeze sealing it shut behind them. The tower was wide and spacious, once built to permit any form of Stryx to enter and worship, but now providing plenty of space for the Void tainted beings to roam.  
  
“She will likely be at the top of the tower, where the altar of Daius is meant to be. The perfect place for those in defiance of the gods to rear their corrupted spawn.” Saturnine murmured. They had made their way into a side room, a storage room with untouched books and other odds and ends present. The door was large enough for a Tyto, but not a Gryph, providing them a moment of safety until the guard spawn worked out where the room was.  
  
“That lot outside didn't seem too together, but I don't think we can really stay here..” Oliver muttered.   
  
“We can't. We must start upwards..” Saturnine paused. It was too late to offer them a final chance to back out, and to do so would only offend Oliver. “We will go onward from the inside. The spawn will most likely be partial, failed gryphlings, but we can not put it past them to have abducted other chicks and corrupted them. It would be a foolish oversight not to have a sect of guards who could defend the inside of the tower effectively.”  
  
“Ri-” Pidge began, stopping and stiffening in alarm as a sense of darkness passed over him. Something about this place felt important to him, to the core of his being, every nerve on fire, as if a piece he had forgotten of himself were an arms length away, waiting to be reclaimed. But he wasn't sure what. But he knew this place was important, and he could sense the evil beings moving through the tower, like parasites through a beings bodies. “We need to move, _now_ , they're closing in on us.”   
  
“So quickly?!” Oliver muttered, holding his stave tighter. The saddle on Saturnine's back had been modified to allow him to ride comfortably, so he could fight to a degree from this position, but he wasn't the most confident in the moment. Not that he would willingly voice this. Now wasn't the time for doubts.   
  
Saturnine was already running for the door, a weak chill following her, the icy north wind awaiting her command. She slammed through it, taking out a warped void-cursed toon that had come towards the door from the other side. The owl continued to run, booking it up the nearest set of stairs. Small, corrupted birds threw themselves at them as they ran, either being battered away by Oliver's stave or blocked by Pidge's protective spells. Pidge clutched the Seer's Eye to his chest as they ran, ready to activate it the first chance they had and force Spite to face the truth, to end this encounter as soon as possible.   
  
They slogged up the building stairs, more void corrupted birds and toons attacking. There were even void corrupted elves among them, blindly fighting for the being that now pulled their strings. They tried to put them down with as little harm as possible, trying to knock them out over ending their lives, but in the chaos of the endless onslaught they couldn't be sure their best intentions stayed true. The group pushed every onward, freezing, beating, and repelling enemies on each level, destroying corrupted void spawn where ever they met. Those beings were beyond rescue, having been corrupted from birth.   
  
“Forgive us.” Saturnine whispered as she slew a crippled Gryph fledgling that charged her. It was clumsy and in pain, the joints warped and unnatural, but it's eyes glittering with hatred. Dispatching them was simple, but it was not a pleasant task, as was any slaying of another Stryx. “May the gods have mercy upon you.”  
  
They pushed ever onward, unable to take in the various imagery along the wall, the scenes of history and worship, of legends long forgotten to Tunis. The exploded out to the top in seconds, the exit freezing over behind them to prevent more void guards from pursuing them out. The top was swirling with icy wind, knocking away those guard spawn that were outside and trying to reach them.   
  
The altar was large, depicting Daius in his most common form, a mighty phoenix like eagle, wings spread wide to catch the light of the sun between them during the day. Fiercesome features were etched into the statue, the structure a blend of gold, red, and orange, a glittering fire like stone at the base beneath one of it's talons. A sun mosaic covered the ground, scared and chipped by the years and the beings that had claimed this place as their own.   
  
A massive, twisted nest had been built atop the base of the altar, a strange, warped thing that did not look like any common nest construction, as if the creator were not in their right mind. Broken egg shards, feathers, and even dead eggs were scattered along the top of the tower, the master of the spawn leaning out of the nest to glower upon them with deranged green eyes. The plum and gold head snapped up as they reached the top, a hiss spilling from the females beak as she lurched from the nest.  
  
Her crest rose to it's full height, spreading wildly with unkempt feathers tipped in silver, only adding to her unhinged appearance. She flared her long wings, bristling with hatred and disgust. “So you wretches are the ones who disturb my home?” She questioned dramatically, her voice a rasp of hatred. “Sent my useless spawn into a furious uproar and highlighted just how _worthless_ they are.”  
  
“Well ain't you just a lovely mother.” Oliver muttered, Saturnine standing tall before the corrupted being.   
  
“Do not talk to me of motherhood, _whelp._ There is no room for weakness in this nest.” She hissed, glowering down at him. She was nothing like the Gryph they had seen in Tristan's memories, the kindness and warmth torn away from her, leaving an empty husk behind. An empty husk mindlessly following the orders of her master. “If they can not find a way to overcome their weakness, then they deserve to die.”  
  
“Than did you deserve to die in the clearing between Soala City and the Greywing delivery base?” Saturnine challenged, pale eyes meeting Spite's. “We both know it is not by your power alone that your wound was healed. We both know who it was that took you in and turned you into what stands before us. The beast that _lied_ to you.”  
  
“THE ONLY LIAR WAS THAT WRETCHED HUMAN!” Spite shrieked, lunging from the nest, beak snapping for them, black teeth springing up to latch onto them. She moved with shocking speed, Saturnine dodging her strike, taking to the air. Void corrupted spawn were trying to attack them, but the chill north wind battered them away, swarms of moths blinding them, the insects appearing from the forest.   
  
“That is what you were lead to believe, but it is you who have been lied to!” Saturnine cried, flying above Spite. They weren't close enough for the eye to work, the pair on her back battering the smaller void spawn away as they tried to strike them. “You have been played a fool, Gale!”  
  
“That is not my name!” She shrieked, taking to the air after them. “I abandoned that lie when that human abandoned me! They are all worthless, conniving liars, only thinking of their own gain!”  
  
“How does that make them any different from Malice?” Saturnine questioned, trying to taunt the Gryph close enough to activate the eye, but not into a position where she could strike those who rode her. Icy winds and moths filled the air, combating the spawn that hearkened to Spite's enraged cries, the sky a battlefield of the strangest sort. “Where is the love you were raised upon, the kindness and care? You throw aside your own children like trash, and all at the behest of a beast who would see you cast aside as well if you were to become a liability.”  
  
“Liar!” Spite shrieked, tearing after them, higher and higher, snapping at the owl. “He would never cast me aside! I am his mate, his chosen one! I am the only one he has ever mated with and ever will! I will produce the most powerful children for him and see this lie that blinds all of you torn asunder! Even now you let those _beast_ ride upon your back, as if they are worthy of such trust! They would abandon you in a heartbeat if you did not have the power they sought to use!”  
  
Saturnine narrowly dodged the blow, spiraling downwards, away from Spite. To fast. Pidge didn't get a chance to to activate the eye. “I share my strength with them willingly, so that you can see through the lies Malice has poisoned you with. Look around you Spite. Look at the beasts you have produced through him, the twisted, miserable creatures his corrupted essence has produced. Are these truly the young you desire to create?” Her eyes widened as she realized their position as Spite twisted to be above them, shouting to the pair. “JUMP!”  
  
“They are failures.” Spite spat before she slammed into Saturnine. The pair on her back had disembarked at her order, leaving only the saddle for her claws to tear into, but she did not stop, careening downwards, taking the moth owl with her. Angelic energy bit at Spite's sides and wings, forcing her to slow, but it did not stop the terrible landing, the owl beneath her claws as they collided with the ground. Saturnine burst into hundreds of moths, spiraling around the Gryph's limbs and maw, before coming together to reform behind her.   
  
“No. They are tortured souls who were never given a fair chance.” Saturnine hissed, leaping onto the Gryph's back, tearing at her feathers. “You have cursed them through your blind hatred, fueled by the lies you were fed. What is it you flee from, Spite? If what you know is the truth than why do you flee our words, the artifact I know you can sense. Face your past Spite!”   
  
“I have nothing to face but my mistake in ever trusting a single two-legged bastard!” Spite shrieked, twisting every which way to try and force Saturnine off. The Tyto held true, Pidge darting closer and closer, until finally the eye glowed, consuming them in memories. Memories laced with love and care, respect, kindness.. and terror. A spell, a run, and the final, miserable end.  
  
Spite ceased moving, the top of the tower going eerily silent. Her pupils dilated to a wild degree, tiny pinpricks in a sea of wild green, her breathing growing more and more rapid. The mutilated spawn were come, turning to protect their 'mother' now that stillness had fallen upon the attackers. Oliver and Pidge prepared to fight, but the spawn did not near them. They never had the chance.  
  
A form of grey and deep gold exploded past them, a wild shriek tearing from the corrupted dam. She tore through her corrupted spawn, who resembled their sire so closely, who mirrored his attitudes so closely. She hated them. She hated them all. She tore through the corrupted being, sending their void tainted souls to the gods as a keening cry escaped her. She was surrounded by liars, by betrayers, all of them were in on the act of playing her a fool, as Malice used her again and again to produce more of these wretched beings.   
  
The three invaders watched in shock as she tore through her own spawn, shredding every single one her eyes fell upon. They fled her presence, her wrath, leaving the tower behind as she screeched her pain to the sky, and to all who would hear her. She had done _so much_ in his name, for Malice, and it had all been for a _lie._ A horrible, nightmarish lie. What was she. _Who_ was she anymore? She was not Gale. Gale had died long ago, when Malice had approached a broken Gryph with a shattered spine. A spine he had destroyed. A betrayal he had orchestrated, a lie he had perpetuated.   
  
Another shriek filled the sky as Spite vanished, the corrupted nest collapsing behind her, the Gryph having no intent of returning. Who was she anymore, but a monster? All she had come to believe in was built on a _bed of lies_ , and had crumbled beneath her, leaving her with nothing but her ever looming sins. She was a cursed, wretched being, without purpose and without a hope of forgiveness from her victims or the gods. What did she have left for her in life, when she had spent so much of it needlessly spilling blood and producing corrupted monstrosities. What was left for her, knowing that rightfully earned eternal damnation awaited her in the afterlife?  
  
She vanished into the sky, leaving the three behind, the void corrupted beings that were not her spawn slowly coming back to themselves. Saturnine turned, setting to work cleansing the shrine, Pidge silently following her, while Oliver kept watch for the Gryph to return. None of them knew what would become of her, but they knew they had taken out a critical alley and source of battle fodder for Malice. And yet the victory felt hollow. Was this truly the best path, as The Seer claimed? Had they stepped onto the wrong path? It was impossible to say. The Seer had not returned, and their eye told them nothing.   
  
“Did we do the right thing?” Oliver questioned after several moments, standing on the edge of the altar as the other two worked. Pidge was silent, his usual wise offerings lost.   
  
“Yes. Her spawn will no longer torment the elves, and in having her life she may yet still redeem herself in the eyes of the gods.” Saturnine answered quietly.   
  
“ _That_ can be redeemed?” He questioned. “After all the things we heard, all the things she did?” He looked to the void corrupted toons and elves, struggling to reclaim themselves, approaching the slowly cleansed altar, the light of the orb at it's talons glowing brighter and brighter, until it was like a small sun unto itself. It was warm and soft, those who approached finding themselves restored to their proper self, the elves whispering in worship to the god who acted through this place, the toons soon following suit.  
  
“That is for the gods to decide.” Saturnine stated once the altar was clean, sweeping away blackened branches, the corpses the corrupted spawn being gathered to be burned in pyres atop the tower so that their spirits may have a chance at redemption. “It is for Spite to choose, and for the gods to guide her to, if she is truly capable of redemption.”  
  
“In the end, it's always our choice, isn't it?” Pidge murmured, watching in wonder as the elves set to work further cleansing the shrine. The air vibrated subtly with a potent energy, but he could not put a name to it, distracted by the strange feelings it brought to mind.   
  
“We have free will.” Saturnine murmured. “The gods do not interfere with that. That is what divides them from Voidric and his ilk, who seek to control all. They will let you make your choices, but you will never go through life without a warning of what you may be met with for your crimes.”  
  
“I still feel weird about this.” Oliver muttered, glancing towards the direction Spite had flown in. He wasn't sure what he had expected when they had begun this quest, but he hadn't expected it to end so strangely. Quests were supposed to end with one feeling good and victorious, a sense of good triumphing over evil but here he felt.. incomplete. As if this hadn't even ended yet. But what was there left to do?  
  
“There is still much to do.” Saturnine answered, Oliver having not realized he had spoken his last thought. “So much left to do..”  
  
  



	32. Aftershock

  
  
“I'm so sorry..” Pippen murmured, holding Bendy close. The devil was beside himself with sorrow and guilt, having barely spoken since the attack. Since Red was taken. Pippen wasn't free of guilt either. If she had reached them just a bit faster.. Maybe.. Maybe she could have stopped them. But she had arrived too late, and if she had had tried to attack then, the bird would likely have been injured but not dropped at all. Bendy didn't blame her, only his weak fighting abilities. He should have paid more attention to what Pippen had tried to teach him.  
  
She tried to discourage this line of thought. There was only so much he could do and learn in such a short span of time. He had done everything he could. The swarm was simply too much.  
  
The were patched up, as was everyone who survived the attack, the caravan moving once more. The now had the Flight of the Eclipse at their side, lead by Cecil and Cassia. The Stryx had helped them immensely in picking up the pieces of their battered caravan, and now many walked or flew above the caravan as it hastened towards the Red Woods. Some were Stryx Pippen knew, some were wild and some even from the ranch, while others were completely unknown to her, or whispered legends among Stryx kind who had come forth to defy the void.  
  
They had learned of the other flights and their goals, and it had helped the battered caravan's spirit a bit to know that there were powerful forces fighting back, and pitching in to defy the Angelic Council. Those who could not join the Caravan still had somewhere they could flee too and seek help. Their plight wasn't going unheard and unheeded.   
  
If it weren't for the Flight, the caravan would likely have been entirely lost to Malice's attack. A number of toons that had been snatched had been recovered at some point, thoguh not all, and the group had been able to regroup and overcome the damage far faster with the numerous talons on hand to aid them. There was still the looming fear of Malice's return however, hence the speed which they now moved. They couldn't afford another confrontation with him. It had already cost them so dearly.  
  
"If only I was stronger.." Bendy murmured, bowing his head. "If I was a little better with this magic business or even a sword like you can do.."   
  
"Tunis hasn't required that kind of knowledge in so long, Bendy. You can't blame yourself so harshely. You were trying so hard during your lessons. You can't become a master overnight.." Pippen murmured, trying to be the voice of reason to keep him anchored in reality. Their abilities were quiet different, but Wyvera required people to know how to fight and defend themselves in ways that hadn't been required of Tunis for quiet some time. They didn't have the wild beasts and dangers Wyvera did in this isolated world they existed within.   
  
"I could have done something.." He murmured again.  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not." Pippen answered. "But.. You can't linger on the maybes. From our best guess, he's likely been taken to the Scientific council. I've heard there are rebels there even in Castle City. Maybe he'll get him out.." She paused. "After.. After we get the caravan to where it needs to be, we could strike out to try and find him."  
  
"Do you really think we could?" Bendy asked, looking up to her with hope.  
  
"Aye. Glory will be ready to fly again by then, and he's upset that Red as taken too." Pippen murmured. The grey and black Harpia had lost much of his tail, but still had the very base of it, and his tail feathers. He was adapting to flying without his tail, but he wouldn't be as agile as he once was. That wasn't going to stop him either way. For the moment he was resting on one of the carts, slowly recovering from the blood loss.   
  
"He will be OK, won't he?" Bendy asked after a moment.  
  
"Yeah. It was a clean cut. It's.. Not a good thing to have happened but he'll survive.." She looked down, guilty. Maybe she could have prevented this too. "He's just woozy from blood loss. And anger. It's hard to keep him seated as it is, but the rest of the flock are keeping him busy."   
  
"That's good." He murmured, leaning into her. She wrapped an arm around him, tail curling into his. He closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep. He hadn't slept well since the attack. Then again, no one had..  
  
She curled closer to him, hovering protectively, watching the recovered vehicles and carts around them. They were slowly closing in on the caravan, but that fact barely lifted anyone's spirits. There was still the concern of how the elves would react to them, and the fear they may be turned away. Pippen didn't expect them to be turned away. Dewey wouldn't have sent Pidge to them if they weren't going to help them.  
  
Dewey.. She hadn't thought about the inkwell toon in so long. She wondered how Ms. Buttercup and Lulu were as well, and Elder Kettle. She didn't know the later, but Glory and the cup boys had told her much about him, and he seemed a good soul. But they were all back in Silvi city or the area around it, and the last they had seen of it, it was being attacked..  
  
She glanced behind herself to the pair of cup headed toons, who were sleeping as well, curled into one another for comfort. No one had slept well since the Malice encounter, and she was fairly certain he had left them all with a curse before he had left. Not as strong or as focused as her own, but still enough to disrupt the sleep and peace of the caravan. As if the lives taken, both literally and through kidnapping, was not bad enough.   
  
They were the first ones to find Glory after he had fallen, abandoning their safe position under a cart to go to him. The had found him with Cream, a cream and red-tan tipped silky Corva, and Melon, a shiny green Hawk with a pink throat, tending to him. The pair had been allowed near him easily, as they were both from the ranch, and two of the nicest Stryx Glory knew. That and Cream was a clever Corva, and knew how to treat wounds, though she had been beside herself at the depth of damage. He had lost so much of his tail..  
  
The pair of bonded Stryx had moved on to the caravan and to treat wounds there once the cup brothers had arrived and calmed Glory down. It had been tricky to get him back to the caravan thanks to how woozy he was, but Glory had managed with the brothers' encouragement, and when they had arrived Cream and Melon had worked through a number of injured toons and were working through more, putting the medical supplies they had packed onto their backs to use.   
  
_"Is he sleeping?"_ A soft crow came from her left, Cream flying gently through the air next to the cart. Her tail had jagged feathers along the tail, but that was normal given her tail was 'scalloped'. A tan crescent ran across her neck, and a white mask like marking covered her face, soft white freckles beneath that.   
  
"Yes." Pippen answered softly. Melon, her ever present companion, flew up on the other side, the hawk's pink eyes scanning the cart before nodding. Everyone but Pippen was asleep, but they'd get her later. "I'm so glad to see you guys again.."  
  
_"We thought you'd be gone forever."_ Melon murmured, her call muffled so she didn't wake up the others. _'When you and Glory didn't return.."_  
  
"And then Redfall returns with such a terrible report!" Cream murmured.  
  
"I didn't expect this much help.." Pippen murmured.  
  
"After the abduction, it drew in a lot of attention. A lot of the villages saw those 'angels' take Lumi and Percival." Cream answered. "And then when Redfall turned up he told everyone he came across what he had seen because he had flown himself to exhaustion.. He was afraid he was going to die before he reached Gru."  
  
_"Things snowballed form there. La Lune came up with the flights to direct everyone's energy and keep everyone coordinated."_ Melon continued. _"Some of the rumors were getting pretty wild before hand."_  
  
"I'm just glad you and the rest of the flock showed up. You'll give the toons a fighting chance where ever you go." Pippen murmured, leaning into Bendy as the two smiled a bit at the praise. "I just wish I could have prepared them more.."  
  
_"There's only so much you could have done."_ Cream murmured, Pippen sighing as the same phrase was turned to her. But it was true.. A painful, hard to accept truth.  
  
  
=========  
  
  
It had been several days, but there was still no sign of Spite, or any of her spawn for that matter. She had slaughtered a number of them when she left, and after her departure they had vanished as well. Dead, void deformed spawn were appearing all over the forest from what the reports of various scouts told them. All who had escaped the tower were slowly turning up, mauled and torn apart.   
  
But no Spite.   
  
The elves had turned up in force to clean up the tower, removing all traces of the void spawn and their sacrilege. The Altar of Daius was cleaned up once more, the mosaic repaired and the fire like stone polished to a perfect shimmer once more. Among the mess, they had discovered an amulet, one that was regarded with severe importance as it was hung from the statues beak once more. It was the 'Amulet of Daius', an artifact of supreme importance, said to be able to invoke the power of Daius himself through it if the wearer was worthy. It had been buried under a pile of refuse, showing the void spawns derision towards the god of the sun.   
  
The strange feeling Pidge sensed around the tower did not fade, but grow, a sense as if he was being watched and silently judged looming over him. It was unnerving, but at the same time it didn't feel harsh or cruel. It felt unbiased and silent, watching but not acting on their judgements.. Not yet. It was a strange sensation and one he couldn't categorize as uncomfortable or not. Te presence felt.. Familiar. Like a long forgotten relative returned after so many years apart..  
  
"It is good to see the Altar of the Sun returned to it's formal glory." Llywellyn's voice broke Pidge from his reverie, the angel turning to see both Yin and Yang walking along with him. Yin actually looked happy for once, a rarity for the pessimistic bird, and Yang was his usual upbeat self. "Don't you think so, Pidge?"  
  
"Yeah." Pidge half halfheartedly answered, still distracted by the strange feelings plaguing him. Llywellyn slowly approached, the figure stopping next to him to look up to the altar of the sun. Prey food, spears, arrows, items of war, candles, spices.. These were the typical offerings placed on the Altar, and would often vanish in the claws of massive, golden eagles who would vanish from sight moments later. What the god, or his sentinels intended to do with these gifts were unknown, but it was said it would be gifted to those in need, or who had pleased the Sun God.   
  
"You know, the angels once had a deep connection to Daius, before the war. They were one of the divisions of the Sentinels of Daius. They parted form him after the war because they believed Daius had abandoned them.. Though he had not." Llywellyn murmured. "Perhaps there is a chance to return to his grace... If you still stand for what the god believes in. Perhaps not all angels could ascend to such a position.."  
  
"... Why are you telling me this?" Pidge asked, wings flicking nervously.   
  
"Hmm? Oh, I am merely musing out loud. In the end, the choices you and your fellow angels make are your own.. Though your kind has fallen so far without your creators guidance. Not all of you but.. Many." Lyllwellyn hummed.   
  
"Do you even think this god would accept us back?" Pidge questioned. "It's been over a century.. Do our goals even align with his anymore?"  
  
"I can not say." Lyllwellyn answered. "That is for the god to decide. Which ever way it goes, it does change who you are. You are a good person, and a good angel Pidge. Do not let what come undermine your beliefs."  
  
"What will come?" Pidge echoed. "Have you been talking to The Seer again?"  
  
"It's just a feeling." Lyllwellyn hummed. They both turned to stare at the altar once more, lost to their thoughts. "The caravan will be arriving soon. Will you be returning to the village to greet them? I have had the microstryx messenger, Phoebe, head out to inform them that we will accept them with open arms."   
  
The noisy, chatty bird had shown up not even a day after Spite had been taken care of, shouting about Flights and caravans and going straight to the elders on her own. Llywellyn had been amused, even if Yin had been upset by the breach of conduct. Phoebe had proudly announced who she was, why she was there, and had unloaded every tidbit of information she had before anyone else could get anything in edge wise, looking smug the entire time, or so Pidge had heard from the guards that had come up here to help clean up. s  
  
"I will." He murmured. "I've heard they had Stryx with them prior to this point. Maybe.. Maybe Pippen is with them. It would be nice to see her again after so long." It would be nice to regroup with a friend, period. Oliver had been scarce after Spite's disappearance, working in the village to make preparations for the caravan. Most of the refugees would have to remain on the ground, and as such they needed buildings and defenses.. and building was one of the Cockatoos talents.   
  
"It would be good for you to see somebody from outside the woods. It will remind you of life outside and help put things in perspective." The elder hummed peacefully.  
  
  
==========  
  
They were steadily closing in on the Redwoods, the tension only growing as they closed in. It would be the last chance for a severe attack against their numbers, and though the Flight of the Eclipse would help them immensely, the sense of danger was real. They wouldn't have the element of surprise anymore. As such they were pushing through the day and night to reach their destination.   
  
Bendy was still moping, but he was moving and working again. Pippen was always close beside him, fearing where his mental state may be going. He was relentlessly plagued by guilt, and was beginning to question his abilities. He hadn't stopped asking if there was more he could have done, despite Pippen's attempts to soothe his concerns. They both know he did all he could but.. He questioned if he could have learned more, practiced more, done something that would have changed the outcome.  
  
Despite her hesitation, he had insisted on meeting Cecil and Cassia, and Cream and Melon. Cecil had been fascinated to meet the Devil who had caught Pippen's heart, and he had been eager to introduce Cassia to her. It was clear the pair were a thing, even if they weren't quite at the level of a bond that Cream and Melon had. The duo had what was known as a 'pair bond', a gift from Galyx that connected two on a mental level. It was one of two types of known bonds, one being Pair bonds, a bond of tight friendship, and the rare life mate bond, birds who choose one another as their one and only mate, which was unusual given Stryx did not typically mate for life.   
  
The tidbits of information had been interesting, and had stirred Bendy from his morose state a bit, but hadn't done much in the long run. Pippen was doing everything she could to cheer him up, but their options were limited on the caravan trail. She still tried, and he made it known he appreciated the effort. The one thing that kept him from total depression was the thought of reaching the Redwoods and launching their investigation to track down Red. He knew Pippen wouldn't abandon this mission. She would see it to the end with him. They would get Red back.   
  
  
======  
  
  
The city that had stood on the edge of the Redwood's was in shambles after months of back and forth battle, though for the moment it was dominated by the Elves. Many of the civilians had been siphoned into the safety of the forest, though the decimated city did little to ease the nerves of the caravan members.   
  
Within moments of arriving in the city, they were surrounded by elf scouts, who quickly identified who they were and set to work siphoning them into the woods, splitting up the caravan into pieces to avoid leaving too obvious a trail for the enemy to follow. It was a nerve wracking experience to be split apart as they were, but they had no choice. Bendy and Pippen managed to keep together, though they were separated from Henry in the crush to get everyone to safety.   
  
It was an hour later that they reached the refugee camp that had been set up for them, the scouts having taken them on a winding, confusing path. It was meant to loose any tails, and to avoid disturbing the forest too much, magi going behind to repair the more severe damage. The covered their trail dutifully, and soon enough they found themselves being integrated into the refugee camp, given tasks and purposes to help maintain the camp.   
  
Pippen was quickly collected by the guards due to her association with the Stryx, her story already disseminating into the elven population. At this point Pippen had stopped trying to hide things. There as no point given everything the caravan members already knew about her and circulated among themselves.  
  
She kept Bendy close despite the fact he didn't have significant standing in the group, unwilling to leave him alone. It was comforting to have him by her side either way, and she was nervous to meet these elves as it was. After everything that had happened on the trail, she wasn't very eager to meet new people to begin with. But she had too.   
  
Glory tagged along, the massive bird unwilling to let either of them out his sight for the moment. Neither of them were in a stable mindset, Bendy even more so than Pippen, and if their hoped for rescue of Red wasn't so time sensitive he would have insisted they rested. His tail still stung and ached a bit at times where it had been torn off, but he had learned to fly without the extra length, so he was ready for anything.  
  
It wasn't just Pippen who was summoned to meet the Grand Elder Council, but many of the 'heads' of the caravan as well, and several important elves as well. Among them stood a cockatoo, fiddling with some short of charm, and Pidge, who seemed distracted and distant. He perked up a bit as he saw her however, managing a friendly smile, though he seemed hesitant. If it was because of the circumstances, or because she had Bendy with her and he didn't want to start a fight she couldn't say.  
  
Introductions were had, titles were declared, and then they got down to the real business. Information was rapidly passing between the group, everyone brought up to speed on what happened on both fronts, and the other fronts they weren't even aware of. They were informed of the rebellion beginning to occur in Castle City, the battle for Inkwell Isle, the uprooting of Spite's influence.. And Tunis' position within the rest of the world, and the war that had separated them.  
  
To hear Saturnine's claim backed up was heartening for Pippen, and a shock for the toons of the caravan who had heard and doubted it. The Elves spoke with authority and certainty that few could doubt, even though it was still so shocking to believe. Once upon a time, they had lived in the same world as humans, and had been friends their species. There had been Stryx in Tunis pre-war. They weren't a foreign species, but one that was returning..  
  
The meeting was one of ups and downs, with a great deal of disbelief and interruptions in places. The elves alignment with the Wyverian gods discomforted some, but the elves maintained that such lose of faith and belief in them was what allowed the first war, and this war, to happen. It wasn't a message some liked, especially those riding high on their suspicions about Angelis being confirmed as something evil.   
  
The worst news came at the end of the meeting, as several scouts cut in to the meeting to confirm what many had feared. The Angelic forces were preparing for an attack on the Redwoods, and they were gathering far larger forces than the raids they had been sending here before. It was a proper army coming to attack them, one that could potentially overwhelm the elves alone.  
  
Cecil and Cassia pledged the Flight of the Eclipse to the defense of the Redwoods, and whatever tasks the council may come up with and get their approval for. That was the purpose the Flight had come for initially after all, and the Redwoods was a good base of operations, even if the Stryx had to spread out far to hunt and scavenge. They couldn't afford to flood one area of the Redwoods without damaging the ecosystem.  
  
Pippen's personal Stryx were pledged to the battle as well, to ensure the safety of the Caravan refugee and the Redwoods. She and Bendy couldn't leave if they were going to fly out into an approaching army. It was a painful delay, but one they both understood. It gave Bendy more time to practice his offensive magic while they waited for this inevitable attack.  
  
The other toons weren't to happy with the news, but they agreed to help, since there was no other choice here. If they didn't help, than why should the elves continue to help them? If the elves fell, they were at the mercy of the Angels, and there was power in numbers. They were exhausted and weary, but the elves were providing weapons and armaments, so they had that going for them.   
  
The meeting split apart to spread the news among those who were not present, Pippen and Bendy staying behind to talk to Pidge. He approached once the crowd cleared, his eyes tired and weary. It was the first time Bendy had ever seen his angel form, but he could recognize the angel after a couple moments despite always appearing in a disguise. His facial shape and body shape were similar enough to pick it out.  
  
"Long time no see." Pippen offered, looking over him with concerned eyes. He looked over her with concern as well, seeing the weariness and sorrow on both of their faces.   
  
"Really long." Pidge murmured, sighing.   
  
"So, you bit off a bit more than you expected with Spite and Malice." Pippen murmured.   
  
"You finally managed to reveal your secrets." Pidge offered.   
  
"It.. Wasn't the best of circumstances but we managed to get over it." Pippen murmured, hand sliding into Bendy's.  
  
"After I screwed things up." Bendy muttered.   
  
"No-" Pippen began, shaking her head as she turned to him. "We agreed not to think like that." Bendy mumbled something before nodding in understanding and apologizing. "Its.. been rough. Red, the chick from the egg I bought, was taken from us during Malice's attack. We were meant to look for him after we got here but.."  
  
"But then the angelic council got in the way." Pidge sighed.  
  
"Unfortunately." Pippen murmured. "But once the attack's through we're heading to Castle City to see if we can't find him."  
  
"That's awfully dangerous-"   
  
"It is but.. I need to check around for my brother too. I was told before we were forced to flee that he was taken by the angelic council as well." Pippen murmured.  
  
"This attack won't be easy on any of us. You're going to need to rest after the attack." Pidge pointed out.   
  
"Maybe." Pippen murmured, glancing to Bendy. She wasn't sure how well he could handle anymore delays. She'd never seen the devil so low before. Pidge looked to him with concern as well, his wings twitching with concern.   
  
"Listen, I'll show you guys to a place you can rest." Pidge invited, deciding giving them privacy would be a good idea. It would give them a chance to talk and heal emotionally. Pippen accepted, giving him a look of gratitude as they followed him away. They weren't aware that he was giving hem his accommodations, but he felt they needed it more. Pippen was a private person, and Bendy.. Bendy needed some space he could talk freely to Pippen in.   
  
  
======  
  
  
"This place seems nice." Asier offered as he followed Alice, trailed by Lumi. They were walking through a cave, the walls shiny and coated with unharvested gemstones and crystals. The magi leading them had several magical lights set up to guide them as they walked, the angel holding the taller's hand as they walked. It helped him keep balance, and feel more at ease with the world despite the constant upheaval he was experiencing.  
  
Memories would pop in and out at random, leaving him shaking and confused, uncertain as to what was real. Alice always helped him during these 'attacks', which he was grateful for. The addition of Lumi had made these 'attacks' more common, but at the same time she helped him recover, which was a strange contradiction, but made these attacks easier to deal with.   
  
He hadn't fully recovered his memories, and he still flipped between his 'real' name and the one he had been given, but he was told that was part of the process. Fredrick was with them too, with his brothers from the Magic and Science council. One was a nervous, stuttering black rabbit, while the other was a strangely finned one that claimed to be the oldest of the family. The black one was named Fitzroy, and the webbed one was Roger, and they were extremely close with Fredrick in spite of the face he was now a humanoid. The trio loyally stuck together, despite the clear anxiety that constantly radiated from Fitzroy.  
  
"It is certainly pretty." Alice offered. She wasn't sure what to call him, since he kept flipping between names, but she was patient. Eventually he would reclaim his original name. Roger had assured her of that. It just took time. "You've told me of places similar to this cave in Wyvera."  
  
"Did I?" He questioned.   
  
"Yes." She assured. He had told her many things, including information about the locations they had to pass as they traveled, unable to stop and look.   
  
A lot of their conversations went like this, with her telling him something and assuring him it had happened. She didn't say anything unless she was certain it had happened. She didn't want to confuse him and hamper his recovery. He seemed to believe whatever she told him either way, which was a bit touching but at the same time worrying given the amount of power it gave her.   
  
They were heading towards the 'Tower of the Moon', a location the Council of Magic had reclaimed and fortified before the Council of Angels began their attack, and were in the process of cleaning up. Apparently a number of members from the Association of Historical Knowledge had holed up there as well, and had agreed to work with the Council of Magic, so long as they helped to revitalize the Tower. They believed it was important to do, and it was a cheap price to pay for a defendable area..  
  
"Have we been to the Tower before?" Aesir asked.  
  
"No." Alice answered. He usually only asked simple questions when others were around, hyper aware of how little he knew. When they were in privacy however, the questions came far more often.. And sometimes repeated. His memory was struggling to hold on to his true memories despite the spells the bound him being undone. But he was improving. Hopefully once they reached the tower he would either be doing better, or they'd be able to get him more help.  
  
"Quiet." One of the magi hissed from the front. "We still have angel's looking for us through these tunnels. Cut the talk for now."  
  
  
======  
  
  
_That night, Bendy dreamed, but not a good dream. He dreamed of Red being taken from him again, the helplessness he felt in that moment amplified a hundredfold. Frustration and anger began to churn through him as the scene played before him, moving slower than real life, but Red still so far out reach. He was a devil, a demon class toon. He should be stronger than this!  
  
**'You could be..'** A voice whispered to him, making him pause. **'So very powerful.. So much potential..'**  
  
The scene was slowly growing darker, blurring and twisting around him, the ground, air, and everything beginning to bleed away into darkness. He was beginning to float, the physics of reality fading away, dreamlike but.. Not quite. The world was beginning to dissolve away, smearing into impossible shapes and colors, confusing his eyes and making his being ache with repulsion. It felt like something was holding him, wrapping dozens of limbs around him. He felt chilled to the bone, to his soul, his body quivering even outside his dream.  
  
"W-Who-" Bendy tried to demand, trembling under the presence that invaded his sleeping mind.  
  
**'So much potential, sitting here.. Wasting away. Held back by your petty 'morals.'** The voice was strange, not quite male or female, and constantly twisting and changing. He saw something flash before his eye, a tall, powerful figure with a jagged spine, claw like fingers, and void fluid dribbling from his being, warping and twisting everything around them. Nothing could overpower him, nothing could even hold a candle to his power, nothing could ever take anything from him again.   
  
**'Let me in.'** The voice demanded, waving the offer before his minds eye. **'You were meant to be so much more-'**  
  
"I-I-" Bendy stumbled for words, shaking his head. Something felt wrong. He felt sick. He felt like his very being was being violated. He could feel the presence twisting his limbs to match the muscular form he had seen, twisting his fingers into claws. He tried to resist, shaking his head a little harder. This felt wrong. This wasn't what he was meant to be-  
  
' **It IS.'** The voice was more forceful now. **'Don't you want to be powerful? Don't you want Red back?'**  
  
"Red?" Bendy questioned, momentarily distracted. He felt the presence push forward, trying to take full control, only to meet his resistance once more. He wanted Red back, but not like this! Not like this-  
 **  
'This is your destiny-!'** The voice shrieked around him, infuriated by his defiance.  
  
"NO!" Bendy shouted back, the darkness swirling around him, threatening to erase him, to break him and mold him into what it wanted. "NO-"  
  
There was a flash of light, and suddenly the presence was gone. He was floating in darkness, but slowly dozens of twinkling lights were appearing, until finally the moon hung above him. His body was back to how it was meant to be, the devil checking over his body and shivering with relief. He looked up towards the sky, still shaking with fear.  
  
"Who-" He questioned fearfully, shaking still. He was afraid of this being a ruse, another attack-  
  
**'Do not be afraid, child of the night.'** A voice crooned around him. It was distinctly female, powerful and warm. **'You are safe. The void lord can not reach you now. But there are those among your own whose hearts falter, and who the void lord seek to twist against their own nature, as he sought to do you.'**  
  
Images flashed through his mind. The Tower of the Sun, a basement, a loose cobblestone, a hidden box, another Tower, one of silver with a black owl and a moon like stone at the top-  
  
**'Bring us back into your world, child of the night.'** The voice whispered. **'Our power has waned through the interference of the void lord's minions, but you can help us return. You can help us defend Tunis once more.'**  
  
"W-Who- Why- I-" He stumbled over his words, overwhelmed by what had happened.   
  
**'Rest.'** The voice intoned gently, his exhaustion washing over him. ' **Rest and know you are safe. I will watch over you, night child.'  
**  
"Who-" Bendy tried one more time, slowly laying down and closing his eyes, unable to resist the urge to sleep. He was so tired, and everything still ached.  
  
**'I am Nokt. I am the Guardian of the night, and all who align with it.'** The voice answered gently, almost motherly as he felt a gentle coolness wrap around his tired being, soothing the pain. **'We seek to return, child of the night. We seek to protect what was once ours, what rejected us in pain and confusion. Know that we have never forgotten Tunis..'  
**_  
\------  
  
  
"-dy! BENDY!" Pippen's voice cut through his sleep, her voice distant as he woke up, the devil mumbling in confusion. He felt rested and cool despite everything that had happened, opening his eyes to regard the scene.   
  
Pippen was being held back by several elven guards, and one of the Elders, Llywellyn, was standing over him, hand glowing with magic. He hadn't done anything yet, but was staring at Bendy in surprise, at the mark on his head in surprise. It was a shiny crescent moon, which had appeared as the shadows and void energy that had curled around the devil in his sleep dissipated.   
  
Slowly, the elder's hand lowered, and Pippen broke free of the guards, running up to him and hugging him tightly, sobbing with fear.   
  
It took several minutes, but slowly an explanation came out, with the guards and the elder explaining he had been surrounded by, and nearly consumed by, void energy. A powerful being had turned it's eyes on him, and tried to take over him, as the weakest link in the city nearest to the Elder's base of operations. And then they had dissipated, shadows surrounding him, and leaving him with the mark on his head.   
  
After some prying, they got his dream out of him, the demon sitting up a bit with pride as the Elder murmured with approval as he spoke of rejecting such a tempting offer for power despite his current frame of mind. A bit odd to hear himself talked about like that, but a compliment was a compliment.   
  
"I fear you were approached by Voidric, given the name he was addressed by in your dream." The elder intoned, fear appearing on all of their faces. "You are most fortunate that Nokt intervened when she did. Else you may have been lost forever.."  
  
"I'm sorry." Pippen whispered, shaking hard against his side. "I tried to wake you up when it started, I tried to move you, but nothing worked-" Bendy hugged her closer, whispering in understanding. He didn't think she could have done anything if she wanted to.   
  
"It was beyond your power to do anything." Llywellyn murmured. "It was completely in the gods' hands then."  
  
"She showed me something. In the tower.. The bottom of it. There's something there and .. I think she wants it taken to another tower. One with a big black owl statue on it.." Bendy murmured.   
  
"The Tower of the Moon. It was a primary location for worship of Nokt before Tunis turned it's back to the gods." Llywellyn answered.   
  
"She said they never forgot us. That they were waiting for us.." Bendy mumbled.  
  
"That is.. A relieving thing to hear, though we of the forest have long believed as much." The Elder murmured. He paused, looking outside, than to Bendy, the crescent moon on his head having dimmed a bit. It was still there, but faint. A protective mark of Nokt. "Rest now. You will know the goddess' protection throughout the night, I am certain. We will take you to the Tower of the Moon in the morning .."  
  
"What about the attack?" One of the guards asked. "It grows nearer at an unprecedented rate.."  
  
"Hence why we must act quickly in accordance to the gods' directions. We have very little time on our hands. But for the moment.. You must rest. I will arrange a guide to be ready for you in the morning." Llywellyn murmured.  
  
"I-If you're sure." Bendy muttered nervously. He wasn't eager to go back to sleep, despite the warmth of Pippen pressed up to him, and the reassurance of the Elder.  
  
"You will be safe." Llywellyn assured. "Both you and Pippen will be protected by her blessing." That.. Made him feel a bit better. It wasn't just him that was being protected, but people around him. Pippen was sagging into him tiredly as it was, eyes at half mast as she tried to force herself to stay up for his sake.  
  
"OK." Bendy answered, wrapping his arm more securely around Pippen and curling into her. They would be safe. It would be OK. Llywellyn smiled a bit, before leaving the room, the guards slowly following him out, leaving the pair to rest. Pippen was already starting to pass back out despite the fright, or maybe thanks to it, the pair pressed into one another closely. It would be OK. They had a literal god on their side now..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a long time since last update, and a small one to post but I've been struggling to write since the C-virus scare really hit our area
> 
> I think updates will be slower for this particular piece bc I want to finish it, but I don't want to rush it, and theres still a dozen points to hit and I want to do it right, but I don't do well when stressed and I feel terrible not keeping a consistent update schedule
> 
> I might post a second story, another unrelated one (im an au machine shoot me) in the interlude if I feel good enough about it, but my primary focus is nailing down an thorough plotline for the second half of this story and seeing it completed
> 
> I know where I want to go, I know what points I want to hit, but getting there is a bit of a struggle with IRL stuff being really heavy and depressing as it is  
> I know no one ever wants to see this in a story they are watching be updated but I promise you I am working on this  
> im just trying to take my time and make sure what I deliver is on par with the first half
> 
> Thank you for your patience, and too anyone whose read so far, it means the world to me ;o ;


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